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This fact brief was originally published as an experiment to test the concepts behind fact briefs.
Readers should be aware that while there is still a lot of useful information in fact briefs like this one, not all of them reflect Gigafact's current methods and standards for fact briefs. If you come across any that you feel are out of date, don't hesitate to contact us at support@gigafact.org.

Was the United States energy independent four months ago, before Joe Biden became president?

By Sarah Thompson
NO

In January 2021 the U.S. consumed more energy than it produced.

A post on social media implies that since the Biden administration began in late January 2021, energy independence ended and led to gasoline shortages on the East Coast.

In fact, U.S. energy independence rises and falls over months and years, and there was plenty of gas in reserve in May 2021.

In 2019, when Donald Trump was president, the U.S. did achieve energy independence, something that had not happened since 1957. Since 2019 there have been several months when the U.S. did not produce as much energy as it consumed, including January 2021.

Gas shortages on the East Coast in May 2021 had to do with distribution problems coupled with panic buying. Operation of the Colonial Pipeline, shut down by a ransomware attack, restarted on May 12, 2021, with supply levels expected to return to normal in several days.

This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
ABOUT THE CONTRIBUTOR
Lead Stories is a fact checking and debunking website at the intersection of big data and journalism that launched in 2015. It scouts for trending stories, images, videos and posts that contain false information in order to fact check them as quickly as possible. It actively monitors the fake-news ecosystem and doesn’t wait for reader tips or reports before getting started on a story.
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