The U.S. Department of Energy has issued guidance urging staff at its Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) to avoid using terms such as “climate change,” “green” and “decarbonization,” according to an internal email obtained by POLITICO on Friday.
The directive, sent by Rachel Overbey, acting director of external affairs at EERE, instructs staff to ensure team members are aware of the updated list and to avoid terminology that may be “misaligned with the Administration’s perspectives and priorities.” The guidance applies to both internal and public-facing documents, including federal funding requests, reports, and briefings.
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“Please ensure that every member of your team is aware that this is the latest list of words to avoid — and continue to be conscientious about avoiding any terminology that you know to be misaligned with the Administration’s perspectives and priorities,” the email stated.
The expanded list also advises avoiding terms such as “emissions,” “energy transition,” “sustainability/sustainable,” “‘clean’ or ‘dirty’ energy,” “Carbon/CO2 ‘Footprint,’” and “Tax breaks/tax credits/subsidies.” Critics have noted that the words singled out are central to EERE’s mission of reducing greenhouse gas emissions and promoting renewable energy technologies.
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DOE spokesperson Ben Dietderich said the department has not formally prohibited use of these words. “We’ll look into the validity of the email and if necessary take steps to correct any emails perceived as official direction,” he told POLITICO.
The guidance comes amid broader federal actions by the Trump administration to reduce support for renewable energy initiatives. Last week, Energy Secretary Chris Wright canceled $13 billion in funding for renewable energy projects and questioned longstanding incentives for wind and solar energy. “If you can’t rock on your own after 33 years, maybe that’s not a business that’s going places,” Wright said at a Wednesday press conference.
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The updated communications directive follows recent remarks by President Trump at the United Nations General Assembly, where he criticized global efforts to address emissions.
