Former Vice President Joe Biden walking with supporters of his presidential campaign in May. (Source: Pix_Arena / Shutterstock.com)
Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden said Aug. 31 that he would not ban hydraulic fracturing, a controversial method of drilling for crude oil and natural gas, if elected and called Republican assertions that he supports such a ban a lie.
The comment added a level of nuance to Biden's energy platform, which includes an ambitious time line for transitioning the U.S. economy away from fossil fuels and an end to new oil and gas drilling leasing on federal lands to fight climate change.
"I am not banning fracking. Let me say that again. I am not banning fracking, no matter how many times Donald Trump lies about me," Biden said during a speech in western Pennsylvania, home to one of the largest natural gas deposits in the world.
RELATED:
Biden’s US Energy Policy Gamble
Ban Fracking? 2020 Election Issues for Oil and Gas Execs to Watch
Pennsylvania is a battleground state ahead of the Nov. 3 election between Biden and Trump, the Republican president.
Environmental activists say fracking can pollute underground aquifers, an assertion the industry says is overblown. The drilling technology has touched off a surge in domestic oil and gas production, which has also upset green groups concerned about climate change.
The western Pennsylvania region, once a Democratic stronghold, has become much more Republican in recent years due partly to Democratic plans to phase out fossil-fuel energy.
Biden's comments were a detour in a speech otherwise dominated by the subject of civil unrest and the coronavirus outbreak, a nod to the vulnerability the former vice president faces as his party becomes increasingly hostile to drilling.
Biden’s position on fracking has at times been confusing.
In a March Democratic primary debate, he said: “No more—no new fracking.” The statement came after his then-rival Bernie Sanders said he would end fracking in the United States to combat global warming.
Biden's campaign then said he meant he would not allow new federal land-drilling leases.
Trump campaign representative Samantha Zager said Biden's campaign was "attempting to walk back his previous statements after realizing voters aren’t happy about his proposal to kill thousands of jobs."
Recommended Reading
Saudi Signals Willingness to Weaken Oil Prices, Defend Market Share
2024-09-26 - Analysts caution that reports of Saudi Arabia abandoning a philosophy of supporting prices in favor of defending market share could be a move to get OPEC+ members in line rather than to launch a costly oil war with the U.S., among others.
Oil Prices Rise as OPEC+ Considers Delaying December Output Increase
2024-10-30 - Oil prices rose more than 2% on Oct. 30 after Reuters reported that OPEC+ could delay a planned oil production increase in December by a month or more because of concern over soft oil demand and rising supply.
What's Affecting Oil Prices This Week? (Nov. 4, 2024)
2024-11-04 - For the upcoming week, with the increased geopolitical risk and OPEC+’s delay in phasing out its production cut, Stratas Advisors expect that the price of Brent crude could test $77.
As Crude Markets Turn Bearish, Will OPEC Come to the Rescue?
2024-09-13 - Despite oil futures prices sliding since August, OPEC continues to keep supplies up, to the bafflement of analysts.
OPEC+ Agrees to Delay October Output Hike for Two Months, Sources Say
2024-09-05 - Oil prices edged up from multi-month lows on reports of an OPEC+ delay as well as a decline in U.S. inventories, though gains were capped by persistent demand concerns.