'Nobody can reverse' US progress on clean energy, says Biden, vows to finalize clean fuel rule before exit

Manaus, Brazil Democratic US President Joe Biden aims to finalize a rule on a clean fuel tax credit before leaving office on Jan 20, a senior White House official said on Sunday. The clean fuel program, which would provide credits for the production of sustainable aviation fuel and other lower-emission transportation fuels, is set to begin in 2025.

Speaking at the Museu da Amazônia, a nature reserve nestled along the confluence of the Negro and Amazon rivers, Biden addressed the press on-route to the G20 Summit. Biden said that when he departs the White House in January, he will leave Trump — whom he did not mention by name — with a “strong foundation to build on, if they choose to do so.”

“Some may seek to deny or delay the clean energy revolution that’s underway in America, but nobody — nobody — can reverse it. Nobody. Not when so many people, regardless of party or politics, are enjoying its benefits. Not when countries around the world are harnessing the clean energy revolution to pull ahead themselves,” Biden said. “The question now is which government will stand in the way, and which will seize the enormous economic opportunity?”

"I'm not going to make any announcements, except that we're working very hard to finish the rules," an official also told reporters. The official did not guarantee that the work would be complete.

The Biden administration also plans to release a study on the environmental and economic impacts of liquefied natural gas before Jan 20, the official said. Biden early this year ordered a pause in new approvals of LNG exports in order to conduct the study.

President-elect Donald Trump, a Republican, has said he will reverse the pause quickly in his second term.