Washington, D.C. — House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) and Energy, Climate, and Grid Security Subcommittee Chair Jeff Duncan (R-SC) sent letters to Department of Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm and International Energy Agency (IEA) Executive Director Fatih Birol regarding IEA's shift away from its core energy security mission towards radical climate policy advocacy. 

BACKGROUND:

• The IEA’s new climate agenda and flawed projections fail to provide participating governments with accurate and impartial data to make decisions and directly influenced the administration’s decision to restrict U.S. liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports. 
• This agenda will have a significant impact on American LNG production, domestic energy prices, and threatens our allies. 
• U.S. LNG exports have spurred European countries to construct LNG import facilities in order to further wean themselves off of Russian natural gas. 
• Despite this, Europe continues to import a record amount of LNG from Russia, importing 40 percent more today than it did before the invasion of Ukraine. 
• Turning away from America’s tremendous energy potential risks U.S. energy security and the security of our allies. 

KEY EXCERPTS FROM IEA LETTER:

“The IEA was established in 1974 to ensure the security of oil supplies following the disruptions created by the Arab oil embargo. Congress has authorized U.S. government agencies to participate in the IEA to provide authoritative data and impartial analysis of world energy markets, to help coordinate responses to energy supply disruptions, and to strengthen the energy security of the U.S. and its allies. We are concerned that the IEA has lost focus of its energy security mission and has instead shifted attention and resources to climate policy advocacy—to the detriment of its core mission.”

CLICK HERE to read the full letter to IEA Executive Director Dr. Birol.  

CLICK HERE to read the full letter to Energy Secretary Granholm.