Debate Intensifies Over DOE's Controversial Climate Report

In late July 2025, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) released a report titled "A Critical Review of Impacts of Greenhouse Gas Emissions on the U.S. Climate," challenging widely accepted views on the economic and environmental impacts of greenhouse gas emissions. Authored by the DOE's Climate Working Group—a panel of five scientists known for their skepticism of mainstream climate science—the report suggests that CO₂-induced warming may be less harmful than commonly believed and questions the efficacy of aggressive mitigation strategies. Source.

On September 2, 2025, over 85 climate scientists, led by Professors Andrew Dessler of Texas A&M University and Robert Kopp of Rutgers University, issued a comprehensive 400-page rebuttal to the DOE's report. They argue that the DOE's assessment lacks scientific integrity, misrepresents established climate science, and was produced without peer review. The rebuttal highlights concerns that the DOE's findings could be used to justify the rollback of federal greenhouse gas regulations, particularly the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) "endangerment finding," which underpins many climate-related policies. Source.

The DOE's report has been criticized for cherry-picking data and downplaying the severity of climate change impacts. For instance, it claims that rising carbon dioxide levels could be a "net benefit" to U.S. agriculture, overlooking the negative effects of increased heat and extreme weather events on crop yields. Additionally, the report asserts that there is no evidence of more intense "meteorological" droughts in the U.S. or globally, a claim that contradicts numerous studies showing that higher temperatures and increased evaporation rates exacerbate drought conditions. Source.

The DOE has invited public comments on its report, with the comment period closing on September 2, 2025. The outcome of this debate could have significant implications for U.S. climate policy and the regulation of greenhouse gas emissions. Source.

The DOE's report has been cited multiple times by the EPA in its recent proposal to roll back the 2009 endangerment finding, which is the basis for rules regulating climate pollution, including emissions from coal and gas-fired power plants, vehicles, and methane from the oil and gas industry. Critics argue that the DOE report is being used to provide justification for further actions that will roll back progress on climate action. Source.

Environmental groups have filed lawsuits against the Trump administration, alleging that Energy Secretary Chris Wright "quietly arranged for five hand-picked skeptics of the effects of climate change" to compile the government’s climate report and violated the law by creating the report in secret with authors "of only one point of view." Source.

The ongoing debate over the DOE's climate report underscores the tension between scientific consensus and policy decisions. The outcome of this dispute could have significant implications for U.S. climate policy and the regulation of greenhouse gas emissions.