A newly released report by pro-energy nonprofit Power the Future is raising serious concerns about the authenticity and legitimacy of key climate-related executive actions taken during the Biden administration — suggesting that President Joe Biden may not have even been aware of at least eight major policy moves signed in his name.
The report highlights what the organization calls a “troubling” lack of evidence that the former president had any knowledge of the actions, all of which significantly reshaped American energy policy. According to the watchdog group, none of the eight executive orders or initiatives were mentioned publicly by Biden — not in speeches, press conferences, or even brief statements. Compounding the issue is the growing body of evidence that many of the president’s signatures during his term were produced using an autopen, a mechanical signature device typically used for routine matters, not sweeping national policies.
“These are not obscure bureaucratic memos; these were foundational shifts in American energy policy, yet not once did Joe Biden speak about them publicly,” said Power the Future founder Daniel Turner in an interview with Fox News.
Among the orders scrutinized are:
- A 2025 ban on offshore drilling that pulled over 625 million acres from future oil and gas leasing;
- A mandate for AI data centers to operate only on “clean energy”;
- An Arctic drilling ban that followed shortly after Biden’s approval of the Willow Project;
- A sweeping order for the federal government to reach net-zero emissions by 2050, with 100% carbon-free electricity by 2030;
- And several other measures invoking Cold War-era powers and reshaping federal hiring practices — all without a single public acknowledgment from the president.
Turner emphasized that the lack of direct involvement or public commentary from Biden calls into question whether these orders reflect his will — or that of unnamed advisers acting independently.
In response to the findings, Power the Future has sent formal letters to multiple federal agencies — including the DOJ, EPA, Department of the Interior, and Department of Energy — requesting investigations. They’ve also reached out to the House and Senate Oversight Committees, urging congressional inquiry into who truly authored and authorized the executive orders.
One such letter to House Oversight Chair James Comer (R-KY) states, “In light of the growing evidence that actions purportedly taken by the former president may not have been approved or signed by him… the need for congressional access to information has grown in importance with these revelations.”
The letter suggests that “a small coterie of advisers” may have used Biden’s name and signature without his knowledge, leveraging the power of the presidency to enact sweeping energy policies.
The report comes amid ongoing revelations about Biden’s cognitive decline during his presidency, as detailed in Original Sin — a book by CNN’s Jake Tapper and Axios journalist Alex Thompson. The book alleges a coordinated effort within Biden’s inner circle to conceal his deteriorating mental state throughout his re-election campaign. The new findings about autopen-signed executive orders appear to bolster that narrative, implying that key decisions may have been made without Biden’s comprehension or consent.
Further adding to the controversy, House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) recently claimed that Biden was unaware he had signed an executive order pausing LNG exports earlier this year, raising additional doubts about who was steering major policy decisions inside the White House.
Daniel Turner didn’t mince words when discussing the implications of the findings.
“This autopen scandal is evidence that these green EOs are invalid, and the instigators should be thoroughly investigated by the DOJ for violating the trust of the American people and perpetuating a great fraud on the nation,” Turner said.
He argues that while the fossil fuel industry was being systematically punished, hundreds of billions of taxpayer dollars were directed toward politically favored green energy projects — all potentially without presidential oversight.
“The American people deserve to know who was really making these decisions behind closed doors,” Turner added.
As scrutiny mounts and investigations are potentially set in motion, the report from Power the Future may mark a turning point in assessing not only the legacy of Biden’s energy policies — but also the broader question of executive accountability for the previous administration.
