Big Oil has nothing to complain about under Joe Biden

Big Oil has nothing to complain about under Joe Biden

US oil and gas companies are accustomed to complaining about how rotten Joe Biden has made life for them. The climate president and his clean energy agenda, the argument runs, has thwarted them from doing what they do best: getting oil out of the ground and maintaining America’s energy independence.

It’s time they changed their tune.

Their biggest beef, typically voiced by the American Petroleum Institute, has been the administration’s efforts to curb drilling on federal lands and impose what they say are onerous permitting laws that prevent them building the infrastructure they need to drill.

“If the administration really wants to be strategic here,” said one API executive this week, “they’ll promote the production of oil and gas in the United States through development on federal lands and waters. They’ll stop restricting access to pipeline infrastructure.”

In private, many are far more scathing about the president, joining Republican congressmen — big recipients of their political donations — in blaming Biden for the spike in oil prices and more expensive petrol.

The truth is more complex. Biden has pledged sweeping legislation to propel a clean energy revolution in the world’s biggest economy. In one memorable phrase in a pre-election debate with Donald Trump, he said