There’s a storm brewing over whether former President Joe Biden even knew about some of the most sweeping climate policies issued under his name. A pro-energy group is raising the alarm, and they’re not mincing words about what they see as a potential scandal in the heart of the last administration. This isn’t just about policy; it’s about who’s been running the show.
As reported by Fox News, Power the Future, a nonprofit championing American energy jobs, is pushing for a full-scale investigation into eight major executive actions on climate policy from the Biden era, alleging these orders might have been signed with an autopen without the former president’s awareness or public acknowledgment.
These aren’t small-fry regulations we’re talking about. The orders in question include heavy hitters like a 2021 commitment to net-zero federal emissions by 2050, a 2023 Arctic drilling ban, a mandate for “clean energy” AI centers, and an offshore drilling ban dropped just before Biden exited office in 2025. Power the Future argues these shifts in domestic energy policy were monumental, yet Biden never once spoke about them publicly.
“These are not obscure bureaucratic memos; these were foundational shifts in American energy policy, yet not once did Joe Biden speak about them publicly,” Daniel Turner, founder of Power the Future, told Fox News Digital. Well, if that’s true, it’s a bit like redecorating someone’s house while they’re asleep—hardly the transparency we expect from the Oval Office.
The group has gone full throttle, firing off letters this week to the Department of Justice, Environmental Protection Agency, Department of the Interior, Department of Energy, and both House and Senate Oversight Committees. They’re demanding answers on who drafted these orders, who decided to push them through, and, most critically, who signed them. It’s a fair question when the stakes are this high.
Now, let’s talk about this autopen business—a device that mimics a signature and has been a hot topic among conservatives questioning Biden’s mental sharpness in his later years. Back in 2005, the Justice Department’s Office of Legal Counsel said it’s perfectly legal for a president to use one to sign bills into law. Still, legality doesn’t always mean clarity, does it?
The courts have weighed in, too, with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit ruling that just because a signature isn’t physically penned doesn’t mean an action didn’t happen. “Presidents are allowed to use the autopen, and courts will not presume a dead-hand conspiracy,” constitutional scholar Jonathan Turley told Fox News Digital. But legal or not, shouldn’t the American people know if their president is in the loop on policies reshaping their economy?
Power the Future isn’t letting this go, stating in a letter to GOP House Oversight Chair James Comer, “In light of growing evidence that actions purportedly taken by the former president may not have been approved or signed by him, but instead promulgated by a small coterie of advisers in his name without his knowledge or over his signature using an ‘autopen,’ the need for congressional access to information has grown in importance.” That’s a mouthful, but the gist is clear: they suspect a shadow team might have been calling the shots.
They doubled down in the same letter, asking, “Congress deserves to know how or whether these executive actions were authorized, and whether the former President was aware of such orders before they were implemented by the federal bureaucracy.” It’s not just curiosity—it’s about accountability at the highest level.
Adding fuel to the fire, House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., noted that Biden once seemed to forget he’d signed an order pausing LNG exports during a meeting. Then there’s a Heritage Foundation report claiming most of Biden’s official documents were signed via autopen. If true, that’s a lot of inkless decisions with very real consequences.
Even President Donald Trump has chimed in, calling Biden’s pardons of certain lawmakers tied to the January 6 investigation “VOID,” alleging they were autopen-signed without Biden’s knowledge. Whether that holds water legally is one thing, but it sure stirs the pot on public trust. Turns out, signatures—or the lack thereof—can speak louder than words.
“During the Biden administration, hundreds of billions of dollars were funneled towards pet green projects, while the American fossil fuels industry was punished, and there is no evidence that Biden ordered it, directed it, or was even aware it was happening in his name,” Turner told Fox News Digital. If that doesn’t raise an eyebrow, what will? It’s not just about energy—it’s about who’s steering the ship.
Turner didn’t hold back, declaring, “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.” Strong words, but when policies this big are in play, shouldn’t we demand crystal-clear authorship?
Power the Future’s letter also warned that “key policies of major economic and national security significance directed by the White House during the Biden administration may have been undertaken without presidential awareness and approval, but perhaps instead by a small coterie of staff.” If that’s the case, it’s less a presidency and more a puppet show—hardly the governance we signed up for.
Fox News Digital reached out to Biden’s office for a response, but as of press time, there has been nothing but crickets. Meanwhile, the questions linger: Who was behind these climate orders, and did the man at the top even know? Until answers emerge, this autopen mystery is one signature away from a full-blown crisis of confidence.
