Surveying the Energy Agencies

A 2018 survey of scientists at the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE), and the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) indicates that political leadership is a primary barrier to science-based decisionmaking. Key findings include the diversion of resources away from politically contentious work, a lack of adequate training on scientific integrity policies, and concerns regarding the influence of political appointees and the White House on agency operations.

• Respondents identified leadership as a primary obstacle to science-based decisionmaking. Specifically, 15% of respondents cited 'delay by leadership in making decisions', 13% noted the 'absence of leadership with needed scientific expertise', 11% pointed to the 'influence of political appointees', and 8% cited the 'influence of the White House' as major barriers.
• There is evidence of political interference in resource allocation and communication. 44% of respondents reported that resources, such as funding and staff time, were 'distributed away from programs and offices whose work is viewed as politically contentious', and 38% reported being 'asked or told to omit certain words viewed as politically contentious'.
• Perceptions of scientific integrity are mixed. While 54% of respondents believe their agencies adhere to departmental scientific integrity policies, 37% stated they 'had not been adequately trained on the contents and procedures outlined in their departments’ scientific integrity policies'. Additionally, 53% of respondents were unsure if their agencies would permit the publication of work in peer-reviewed journals regardless of the topic's controversy.
• Despite challenges with leadership and integrity training, 53% of respondents agreed that their agencies provide 'adequate time and resources to keep up with advances in their professions', including attending conferences and participating in professional societies.

APA

Union of Concerned Scientists (2018). Surveying the Energy Agencies. https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/2019-09/science-under-trump-energy.pdf

Chicago

Union of Concerned Scientists. Surveying the Energy Agencies. 2018. https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/2019-09/science-under-trump-energy.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Union of Concerned Scientists |title=Surveying the Energy Agencies |date=August 2018 |url=https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/2019-09/science-under-trump-energy.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{unionofconcernedscientists2018surveying, author = {{Union of Concerned Scientists}}, title = {{Surveying the Energy Agencies}}, institution = {Union of Concerned Scientists}, year = {2018}, month = aug, url = {https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/2019-09/science-under-trump-energy.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }