Fox News personalities have falsely claimed throughout the Biden administration that President Joe Biden’s policies are making the U.S. “energy dependent” on foreign countries — particularly when it comes to oil — and that the administration is cutting production of energy. But these debunked political attacks are undermined by the real data: The U.S. is producing more energy than ever before; the U.S. is a net exporter of oil and producing more petroleum than at any time in our history; oil imports are lower now than they were during every year of the Trump administration prior to the COVID-19 pandemic; and the U.S. recently became the world's largest exporter of liquified natural gas.
Fox's false attacks are also based on the misguided premise that the U.S. economy could ever achieve “energy independence” and be free from price shocks affecting fossil fuels that are bought and sold in a global marketplace. Because oil is traded in a global market, disruptions elsewhere in the world will still affect American crude oil and gasoline prices, no matter how much the U.S. produces. Developing renewable energy — which Biden is accelerating — is the key to true energy security by reducing the risk of regional or global energy supply disruptions, which has been well-understood by energy analysts for many years.
