“Confusing message” by Joe Biden over fracking concerned Pennsylvania voters.
Statements made by Joe Biden confused voters in Pennsylvania as he delivered confusing messages about fracking as the Democratic nominee revealed a new plan to “transition away from oil energy and fracking by the year 2050.
During the second and final presidential debate, Joe Biden revealed his intentions with oil, wind, and solar power resources, where he stated that he would transition away from oil energy and fracking.
However, in three separate interviews with local news in the swing state last Saturday, Joe Biden faced a grilling with his newly revealed commitment about these energy resources. Biden also faced backlash for his mixed and confusing statements on fracking when voters recalled at some point that he wants to ban such measures completely. Yet, in some instances, the democratic candidate was seen reassuring voters that he have no plans to get rid of fracking.
He has said many contradictory things about fracking. @Forbes is rather neutral, even they are pointing out his flip flop and INABILITY to have 1 consistent message on the issue; "Former Vice President Joe Biden has been all over the place on this"https://t.co/q67sYxJXD1
— PaxView Jeff (@JR_justJR) October 22, 2020
Last Saturday, Biden told CBS Philadelphia that he comes from a coal country and does not talk about eliminating fracking. To quote, Biden stated, “Look, I’m from Scranton, Pennsylvania. My great grandfather was a mining engineer. So I come from a coal country. And I’m not talking about eliminating fracking, I just said no more fracking on federal lands.”
He continued by saying that the transition taking place has nothing to do with anything that he is proposing with regard to gas, oil, coal and others.
“The facts that the fastest growing industries in the country are solar and wind. We can move in a direction where the transition takes place so that people are not left behind, and we got to invest in the new technologies.” Biden stated.
Biden offered the same message while talking to NBC affiliate, WBRE-Tv. He stated that he would put an end to the existing subsidies and tax breaks for oil companies.
To quote, Biden stated, “I will not ban fracking, I said no fracking on federal land. I will not ban fracking, number one, number two, the coal and, excuse me, the natural gas industry, and oil is not going to be fundamentally changed. They’re already in transition.”
To clarify his statement, Biden stated that what he meant was, he will not continue to subsidize, give tax breaks to the oil companies, which amounts to up to $40 billion. He said that these oil companies would not have that amount, and instead, it will be placed on research and development to figure out how to carbon capture and what’s coming off as oil and gas.
In another interview, he further provided an additional context about what are his plans with fracking. He said that same claimes with ABC affiliate, WNEP that he will stop the subsidies for oil and will take that money instead to invest in new technologies for what they call carbon capture.
Besides Biden’s inconsistent plans with fracking, he has also regularly stated that he only intends to ban new fracking on federal lands. In 2019, during a Democratic primary debate, he also gave a far more wide-ranging approach.
When Biden was asked whether there will be any place for fossil fuels such as fracking and coal, Biden responded with, “No, we would – we would work it out. We would make sure it’s eliminated and no more subsidies for either one of those, either – any fossil fuel.”
Trump to Biden: “Would you close down the oil industry?”
At the final presidential debate in Nashville, President Trump asked Biden whether he would close down the oil industry. To which Biden answered with, “I would transition from the oil industry, yes,” vowing to have a process in place and to have it done by 2050 if ever he will be elected.
Trump answered with, “Oh, a transition. That’s a big statement,”
Then the moderator, Kristen Welker, asked Biden, “Why would you do that?
Biden stated that because the oil industry pollutes significantly and has to be substituted by renewable energy over time. He further added that he had stopped giving to the oil industry, and he would have stopped giving them federal subsidies. Biden continued with if the government is not providing federal grants to solar and wind, why will it provide subsidies for the oil industry.
President Trump, on the other hand, answered with, “We actually do give them to solar and wind and that is the biggest statement in terms of business, that is the biggest statement because basically what you’re saying – he is destroying the oil industry. Will you remember that, Texas? Will you remember that, Pennsylvania, Oklahoma, Ohio?”
However, before boarding his plane at the Nashville airport after the debate, Biden assured the reporters that the people in the oil industry would not lose their jobs because more jobs will be created in the process of transitioning to renewable energy.
