Climate Change Consensus Challenged by DOE Report
By
Branko Terzic
DOE Press Release “On July 29, 2025, the Department of Energy (DOE) published a report entitled A Critical Review of Impacts of Greenhouse Gas Emissions on the U.S. Climate, evaluating existing peer-reviewed literature and government data on climate impacts of Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions and providing a critical assessment of the conventional narrative on climate change.
…The report was developed by the 2025 Climate Working Group, a group of five independent scientists assembled by Energy Secretary Chris Wright with diverse expertise in physical science, economics, climate science and academic research.”
The New York Times headline in an article by Maxine Joselow and Brad Plumer on this report was “Energy Dept. Attacks Climate Science in Report Aimed at Backing Rule Rollback.” The key sentence is that “…the report misrepresented, or cherry picked a large body of research on global warming.”
The report authors John Christy, Ph.D. Judith Curry, Ph.D. Steven Koonin, Ph.D. Ross McKitrick, Ph.D. Roy Spencer, Ph.D. are described by the New York Times as “five prominent skeptics of the consensus view.”
If “misrepresentation” is the case, then the misrepresentation should be easily identified and corrected by other scientists during the 30-day public comment period. The comment period should provide the public platform for corrections to the DOE report.
As an aside, the Times article reported that Dr. Koonin, one of the report authors had, during the first Trump administration, proposed that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) conduct a “red team, blue team” exercise to debate the mainstream scientific “consensus.”
The idea of that exercise appeals to me as it mimics what independent agencies, such as a state Public Service Commission (PSC) or the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) would do when confronted with a technical issue relating to an assertion of negative environmental impact. I don’t know whether Koonin envisioned testimony under oath as a part of the proceedings. Expert testimony with supporting exhibits in PCS and FERC proceedings would be filed by parties on both sides of the issue. Expert witnesses would be cross-examined by other experts as to their opinions and supporting studies. The PSC or FERC, or other decision makers, would then base their finding on the record giving the most weight to those studies and opinions best supported by testimony and studies.
This PSC/FERC type proceeding probably will not happen. In the meantime, we will have access to the public comments which should settle the issue for a while. Or maybe not.
The Honorable Branko Terzic is a former Commissioner on the U.S. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and State of Wisconsin Public Service Commission, in addition he served as Chairman of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe ( UNECE) Ad Hoc Group of Experts on Cleaner Electricity. He holds a BS Engineering and honorary Doctor of Sciences in Engineering (h.c.) both from the University of Wisconsin- Milwaukee.
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