The EPA is moving to overturn a foundational climate policy that has anchored federal greenhouse gas regulations for 16 years. In its July 29 proposal, the EPA heavily cited a new 151-page Department of Energy report that highlights areas of disagreement between the peer-reviewed scientific literature and the prevailing narrative on climate change.

Secretary of Energy Chris Wright noted in the report’s foreword: “What I’ve found is that media coverage often distorts the science. Many people walk away with a view of climate change that is exaggerated or incomplete. To provide clarity and balance, I asked a diverse team of independent experts to critically review the current state of climate science, with a focus on how it relates to the United States.”

The DOE report helped inform EPA’s effort to repeal the endangerment finding, the formal determination that greenhouse gases (GHG) pose a threat to public health and welfare. This determination has served as the legal foundation for regulating GHG emissions under the Clean Air Act since 2009.

Travis Fisher, director of energy and environmental studies at the Cato Institute, was instrumental in creating the DOE report—authored by a five-member Climate Working Group (CWG)—and offers a rare insider’s perspective on the process in a new blog post.

Fisher writes, “I witnessed the CWG authors hit a prolific stride when they were freed from the shackles of climate cancel culture.” He continued, saying, “The truth about climate science—let alone climate policy—is far more nuanced than the summaries for policymakers (produced by previous government efforts) would have you believe.”

The potential repeal represents one of the most significant shifts in federal climate and energy policy in over a decade, with implications for everything from vehicle emissions standards to power plant regulations.

Fisher is available for interviews about his role in the report and the policy implications. Contact: mmiller@​cato.​org.

Inquiries about the Department of Energy should be directed to: andrea.​woods@​hq.​doe.​gov.