Organizations Respond to Senate ENR Advancing Trump’s EIA Administrator Nomination Out of Committee

Washington, DC —Today, the U.S. Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources voted to advance the nomination of Tristan Abbey to lead the Energy Information Administration (EIA) to the full Senate. All Democratic members except Senator King voted against Abbey's nomination. 

President Trump’s pick to run the Energy Information Administration (EIA) – our nation’s primary fuel and power forecasting agency – works for a think tank that bolsters fossil fuel interests over renewable alternatives. 

"I am, however, unable to support Mr. Abbey's nomination. I am deeply troubled by what is happening at the EIA. Last month, it released its annual energy outlook without its analytical narrative, which is traditionally the centerpiece of that report. And it has also cancelled its international annual outlook for 2025,” said Senator Heinrich before voting. “Now, whether these actions are a result of the loss of so many staff experts or out of fear of offending the trump administration or a combination of the two, we are left without EIA's independent, nonpartisan, and impartial analysis. I don't blame Mr. Abbey for this; he hasn't been there yet. But, neither do I believe he is the correct person to stand up to this administration and defend EIA's independence and integrity. So I will be voting no on this confirmation."

“No nominee in EIA history has brought such ideological baggage to the role, let alone the biased positions that Abbey professes. The EIA was designed to be a nonpartisan, non-ideological entity that provides clear and consistent data about the energy landscape. The agency’s previous administrators have been apolitical academics and industry experts, even during Trump’s first administration,” said Tyson Slocum, director of Public Citizen’s Energy Program.

“It is critical that decision-makers, communities, and the nation as a whole have access to unbiased information about the country’s energy landscape. We need to have a wide-eyed view of any potentially mitigating factors, like how record-breaking temperatures or global dynamics like foreign wars, may impact demand and access to energy – that has always been the role of the Energy Information Administration’s independent and non-partial analyses. Tristan Abbey’s bias towards the fossil fuel industry would threaten the integrity of these analyses that help us understand how to lower the cost of energy and protect public health. It is clear that Mr. Abbey is unfit to serve in the role of EIA Administrator and his insistence on operating from the Project 2025 playbook would negatively impact our ability as a nation to make smart, forward-looking decisions about energy,” said Claire Dorner, Sierra Club Associate Director, Legislative & Administrative Advocacy, Beyond Dirty Fuels.

Additional Information: 

Abbey wrote a report touting LNG exports and called for the United States to find ways to increase both domestic gas consumption and LNG exports, which worsen climate change and lead to extreme weather events and public health crises. The EIA has found that exporting LNG increases domestic prices. With Abbey in charge, its ability to conduct such impartial analysis could be at risk. 

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