Scientists Slam U.S. Energy Dept. Climate Report as Politically Driven and Flawed

More than 85 leading climate scientists have condemned the Trump administration’s recent Energy Department climate assessment, calling it scientifically unsound and politically motivated.

In a 400-page review submitted ahead of the Sept. 2 public comment deadline, researchers led by Andrew Dessler of Texas A&M University and Robert Kopp of Rutgers University argued that the report, produced by five scientists handpicked by Energy Secretary Chris Wright, misrepresents the state of climate science.

The scientists said the report relies on debunked studies, misinterprets existing research, and bypasses peer review, failing basic standards of scientific integrity. They accused DOE leadership of recruiting contrarian voices to justify weakening federal greenhouse gas rules, noting that the assessment “privileges the outdated views of individual dissenters rather than the consensus of scientists.”

By contrast, landmark studies like the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and U.S. National Climate Assessment involve thousands of contributors and rigorous review, consistently showing worsening climate impacts worldwide.

Despite Wright’s defense that the report brings “necessary debate” to the public, critics say it is designed to advance policy preferences rather than reflect scientific consensus. The DOE has received over 2,000 public comments on the controversial assessment.

The Dessler-Kopp-led 400-page rebuttal to the DOE assessment reflects the scientific community's response to what it perceives as an attempt to substitute politically curated contrarian views for the established peer-review consensus. When 85+ leading researchers coordinate a formal critique, the underlying disagreement moves beyond scientific debate into questions of institutional integrity.

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