US oil and gas production rose to record highs under each Trump and Biden-Harris, despite very different energy targets

The United States is produce more oil And natural gas today than ever before and way over every other country. So what role did the Trump-Pence and Biden-Harris administrations play on this recovery?

The answer may surprise you, considering how each of them has spoken publicly about fossil fuels: former President Donald Trump hug themand President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris are focused on reducing the usage of fossil fuels to combat climate change.

Under the three most up-to-date presidencies – whether Republican or Democratic – oil and gas production within the United States was higher at the top of every term than at first.

This production has benefits and drawbacks. Oil and gas together account for nearly three quarters of US energy consumption. Oil and gas production within the United States provides energy security, and high production generally keeps prices low. However, burning oil and gas releases carbon dioxide into the air. Contribution to climate changeAnd natural gas is mainly methane – one other powerful greenhouse gas.

As Scientist working on each energy and public policyI've been following the federal government's actions on oil, gas and coal, and with the presidential election in November against Trump and Harris, let's take a take a look at how each has affected fossil fuel production and emissions.

Promoting and restricting oil and gas production

Both the Trump-Pence administration and the Biden-Harris administration took measures that supported additional oil and gas drilling. Both also took measures that restricted additional oil and gas drilling.

Trump is aggressively pro-fossil fuels in his rhetoric and actions dating back to his first candidacy. Under his administration, the federal government leased more land for drilling within the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska, and the Utah wilderness.

To further help the industry, called on the authorities to refrain from environmental assessments and to chill out the regulations in a way that Accelerate approval procedures for pipeline construction and other energy infrastructure.

The Trump administration also opened up additional U.S. coastal waters for oil and gas leasing, but Trump later reversed this decision and banned coastal drilling within the eastern Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic coasts of Florida, Georgia and South Carolina for ten years. At the time, there was strong opposition to drilling in these states. threatened the 2020 election campaigns of several Republican candidates.

The Biden-Harris administration focused on clean energy and climate change, issuing several anti-fossil fuel executive orders, including measures to scale back methane leaks from natural gas pipelines and Increase in license fees that firms pay for production on federal lands. In 2021, it issued a moratorium on latest federal leases for oil and gas, but that was blocked by a federal judge.

However, the Biden-Harris administration also gave the green light to the country's largest oil drilling operation, ConocoPhillips' massive Willow project in Alaska. And the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, considered the administration's most vital climate bill, including additional oil and gas leases and incentives for carbon capture to be used in enhanced oil recovery.

Decisions of 1 government influence the following

When land is leased for drilling, It takes several years before production beginsSo the increased oil and gas production throughout the Biden administration is, to some extent, the results of leases awarded throughout the Trump administration. Trump auctioned the leases, the Biden administration signed the permits.

In many cases, presidents have little discretion and are absolutely needed to be approved if permits meet legal requirements.

Global events also can have a significant impact on production.

The COVID-19 pandemic reduced US oil demand global activity slows down in 2020.

Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022 led to more Energy demand from EuropeHowever, natural gas should be liquefied to be transported overseas, and the US has limited export capability. In order to produce more gas to Europe, the US needed to divert its natural gas exports intended for other countries.

The Biden-Harris administration has suspended permits for added liquefied natural gas terminals in 2024, but a Federal judge blocked the move.

What caused the sharp increase in oil production?

Drilling technology was a crucial driver for the industry’s success.

US oil production had reached its peak in 1970 and entered a slow decline that lasted greater than three a long time. It was widely believed that the United States had exhausted its best reserves and that the country would turn out to be inexorably depending on foreign oil.

Then, within the early 2000s, innovations in hydraulic fracturing And Horizontal drilling has modified every little thing. These techniques gave drillers access to fossil fuels that were previously difficult to access and opened up opportunities for oil and gas drilling at lower costs and in greater quantities. Since about 2009 Oil production within the US has increased sharply.

Natural gas followed the same development. US natural gas production peaked in 1972 after which stagnated. But with fracking Natural gas production has increased since about 2005. Trump supports fracking. Harris has been against fracking up to now, but she told CNN in August 2024 that she’s going to not forbid it.

And what about coal?

Coal production within the US is a special story. Peak in 2008 and has been declining sharply since then.

Coal is more vulnerable to government motion than oil and gas – 40% of it’s produced on federal land, in comparison with 24% for oil and 11% for natural gas. And there have been fluctuations in federal policy.

For example, then-President Barack Obama said in 2016: Ban on latest coal leases within the Powder River Basin in Montana and Wyoming, where most coal production takes place on federal land. The Trump administration lifted this stop a 12 months later, but a court ordered a pause in Trump's actions. The The ban was eventually lifted by a court throughout the Biden administration. Then the Biden administration New rentals terminated again within the Powder River Basin.

But the decline of coal also had economic reasons. Natural gas became cheaperit’s becoming increasingly has replaced coal in US electricity production.

The decline in coal production is the predominant reason US carbon dioxide emissions have fallen even when fossil fuel production increases. Production of renewable energy Increased efficiency of some technologies has also contributed to reducing emissions.

The conclusion

Trump can take credit for allowing more oil and gas drilling leases. While the Biden-Harris administration approved oil and gas drilling permits and increased production under its leadership, it also passed several rules to limit greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuels.

The president's actions can have significant implications for the long run of the industry, but the important thing drivers of U.S. oil and gas production up to now have been improved production efficiency, increased global demand, and the lower cost of natural gas in comparison with coal.