Biden’s Energy Balancing Act

A junior White House economist made a chart last year — the sort of chart that previous presidents might have put in a campaign ad. It shows that U.S. energy production, from wind and solar to oil and gas, has boomed under President Biden. The nation is closer than ever to a goal that presidents have pursued for decades: true energy independence.

The Times has recreated the chart, using the same data:

The Biden administration has never published that chart. The president isn’t bragging about record oil and gas production.

His reluctance highlights a political problem for him and other Democrats. Biden wants to phase out oil and gas eventually to fight global warming. But domestic oil and gas production is expanding on his watch. That brings political benefits: It helps reduce energy costs, and polls show Americans largely support it. But more drilling also means more pollution — and more fury from young progressive voters.

“It is a tough balancing act,” said Ryan Cummings, the economist who created the energy chart. “You want to reduce emissions, but you need a bridge to get there.”

Frack, baby, frack

Republicans and fossil-fuel groups have accused Biden of waging “war” on American energy because he wants to halt America’s greenhouse gas emissions in a quarter century.