Notice2025-15490
Notice of the Department of Energy Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) “Still Interested” Inquiry
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
August 14, 2025
Issuing agencies
Energy Department
Abstract
The Department of Energy Headquarters (DOE HQ) is providing this notice regarding its efforts to increase efficiency, reduce the backlog of Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests, and assist those requesters still interested in with processing FOIA requests. This notice applies to requesters that are still interested in having DOE HQ process FOIA request(s) filed prior to Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 (i.e., any FOIA request submitted to DOE HQ prior to October 1, 2024). This notice does not apply to FOIA requests made to the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), or any DOE field site. This notice does not alter any of DOE's existing FOIA regulations.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 90 Issue 155 (Thursday, August 14, 2025)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 155 (Thursday, August 14, 2025)]
[Notices]
[Pages 39187-39188]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2025-15490]
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Notice of the Department of Energy Freedom of Information Act
(FOIA) ``Still Interested'' Inquiry
AGENCY: Office of the General Counsel, Department of Energy.
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: The Department of Energy Headquarters (DOE HQ) is providing
this notice regarding its efforts to increase efficiency, reduce the
backlog of Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests, and assist those
requesters still interested in with processing FOIA requests. This
notice applies to requesters that are still interested in having DOE HQ
process FOIA request(s) filed prior to Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 (i.e., any
FOIA request submitted to DOE HQ prior to October 1, 2024). This notice
does not apply to FOIA requests made to the National Nuclear Security
Administration (NNSA), the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC),
or any DOE field site. This notice does not alter any of DOE's existing
FOIA regulations.
DATES: All responses to this notice will be accepted on or before
September 15, 2025.
ADDRESSES: All responses to this notice must be submitted by email at
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#f8ab8c919494b1968c9d8a9d8b8c9d9cbeb7b1b9b89089d69c979dd69f978e"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="86d5f2efeaeacfe8f2e3f4e3f5f2e3e2c0c9cfc7c6eef7a8e2e9e3a8e1e9f0">[email protected]</span></a>.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Todd Burns, FOIA Officer, 202-586-
2918; <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#6e3d1a07020227001a0b1c0b1d1a0b0a2821272f2e061f400a010b40090118"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="287b5c41444461465c4d5a4d5b5c4d4c6e676169684059064c474d064f475e">[email protected]</span></a>.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 552, and in alignment
with the Department of Justice's guidance on the use of ``Still
Interested'' letters, DOE HQ is attempting to reach a large number of
requesters to determine whether to continue processing DOE HQ FOIA
request(s), or administratively close DOE HQ FOIA requests to maximize
government resources.
DOE's incoming FOIA requests have more than tripled in the past
four years, with over 4,000 requests received in FY24, and an expected
5,000 or more requests in FY25. DOE has limited resources to process
the burgeoning number of FOIA requests. Additionally, due to the
advancements in technology, DOE is being inundated with requests from
vexatious requesters and automated bots. These requesters rarely
respond to DOE inquiries to reformulate non-confirming requests, and
contribute to processing bottlenecks. Therefore, DOE is undertaking
this endeavor as an attempt to free up government resources to better
serve the American people and focus its efforts on more efficiently
connecting the citizenry with the work of its government.
Requesters who submitted a FOIA request to DOE HQ at any time prior
to October 1, 2024 (FY25), that is still open and is not under active
litigation with DOE (or another Federal agency) shall email
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#7427001d18183d1a0011061107001110323b3d35341c055a101b115a131b02"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="affcdbc6c3c3e6c1dbcaddcadcdbcacbe9e0e6eeefc7de81cbc0ca81c8c0d9">[email protected]</span></a> to continue processing of the FOIA
request. Please note that the foregoing applies to FOIA requests
submitted to another agency, which were transferred to DOE and provided
with a DOE control number.
The email correspondence must include the specific DOE HQ FOIA
control number(s) (e.g., HQ-2024-xxxxx-F) and a request that DOE HQ
continue processing the request(s). All responses should be received no
later than 30 days from the date of this notice.
DOE is also issuing emails to those addresses on file, referring
requesters to this notice. Please note however that DOE will only be
accepting responses to this notice at the email address provided above.
Responses sent to any other email address or via any other means may
result in an inadvertent closure of the FOIA request(s).
Due to the voluminous number of FOIA requests that DOE manages,
please note that a response with the DOE HQ FOIA control number(s) is
required to keep the request open. If DOE HQ does not receive a
response from requesters within the 30-day time-period with a DOE
control number, no further action will be taken on the open FOIA
request(s), and the file may be administratively closed.
This notice only applies to DOE HQ FOIA requests and does not
include requests made to the National Nuclear Security Administration
(NNSA), or the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), or any DOE
field site. It also does not apply to any FOIA requests under active
litigation with DOE. Finally, this notice does not alter any of DOE's
existing FOIA regulations.
Statutory Authority: 5 U.S.C. 552.
Signing Authority
This document of the Department of Energy was signed on August 12,
2025, by Jeffrey Novak, Acting General Counsel, Office of the General
Counsel, pursuant to delegated authority from the Secretary of Energy.
The document with
[[Page 39188]]
the original signature and date is maintained by DOE. For
administrative purposes only, and in compliance with requirements of
the Office of the Federal Register, the undersigned DOE Federal
Register Liaison Officer has been authorized to sign and submit the
document in electronic format for publication, as an official document
of the Department of Energy. This administrative process in no way
alters the legal effect of this document upon publication in the
Federal Register.
Signed in Washington, DC, on August 12, 2025.
Treena V. Garrett,
Federal Register Liaison Officer, U.S. Department of Energy.
[FR Doc. 2025-15490 Filed 8-13-25; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P
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