On May 3, 2019 Zebra Fact Check requested a correction from PolitiFact on a 2011 “Obameter” story. The text of that message follows in .pdf format.
Dear Truth-O-Meter,
Back on July 15, 2011, PolitiFact used its "Obameter" to declare President Obama had kept a promise to establish a 10 percent national renewable portfolio standard.
Under Mr. Obama, no federal renewable portfolio standard was ever established. A separate Obameter article, concerning a promise to establish a 25 percent renewable requirement, makes that clear:
(B)oth the expected growth in renewable energy and the expansion of domestic natural gas production are ultimately side issues when judging Obama's progress on his promise. He said he would enact a law to "require 25 percent of American electricity be derived from renewable sources by 2025,” and he has not done so during his first term. So we're calling it a Promise Broken.
Using the above reasoning, Obama failed to deliver on his promise regardless of whether the United States produces at least 25 percent of its energy from renewable sources by 2025. Why? Because Obama promised to establish a requirement. Without a requirement established under the Obama administration, the only reasonable conclusion is that Obama did not deliver on his promise.
But PolitiFact used a different standard for Obama's promise to establish a 10 percent requirement under a federal renewable portfolio standard.
Note that Mr. Obama's promise as PolitiFact presents it involves the establishment of a renewable portfolio standard that the other Obameter story confirms never happened. But in the case of the 10 percent promise PolitiFact judged that Mr. Obama kept it because the stimulus bill encouraged the use of renewable energy:
The Obama campaign picked rather low-hanging fruit when it came to this promise. After all, the increase to 10 percent may have happened anyway. Nevertheless, the Obama administration made a pledge and delivered. Thus, we rate this Promise Kept.
Contrary to this reasoning, the promise to create a renewable portfolio standard requires the existence of a renewable portfolio standard whether it would require 10 percent renewable energy or 25 percent.
No such federal standard exists and no such standard existed at any point during the Obama presidency.
The promise was broken in both instances, and PolitiFact ought to correct the record to recognize that as a fact.