President Trump signed a memorandum effectively promoting hydraulic fracturing, aka fracking, amid a weekend of barnstorming through Pennsylvania ahead of Election Day. He capitalized on the symbolic missive to amplify his backing of the natural gas extraction technique used in the state’s Marcellus Shale – part of a bid to shore up support in the key swing state.

North America frac operations

Trump ordered Energy Secretary Dan Brouillette to examine and, within 70 days, report on the ramifications of a fracking ban, including potential job losses, decreased tax revenue and impacts on consumer energy prices. On the campaign trail, Trump claimed his challenger Joseph R. Biden Jr.  has promised a fracking ban should the Democrat wrestle the presidency away from Trump after Tuesday’s vote.

“Biden’s...