Freedom of Information Act (FOIA)
The Freedom of Information Act, commonly known as the FOIA, was enacted by Congress in 1966 to give the American public improved access to the Federal Government's records. The Electronic Freedom of Information Act Amendments of 1996 expanded the scope of the FOIA to encompass electronic records and require the creation of "electronic reading rooms" to make records more easily and widely available to the public. However, FOIA does set forth nine exemptions under which records (or parts of records) may be exempt from public disclosure. This includes materials exempted from disclosure by other statutes as well as confidential, commercial, and financial information.
What types of materials are available without filing a FOIA request?
You do not have to file a FOIA request with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to obtain information which is routinely available for public inspection, including the Federal Budget, DOE Circulars, regulations and information collections reviewed by DOE, other policies and management documents, and the DOE Annual FOIA Report. Much of this information is already available on the DOE homepage. Publicly available EIA data, forecasts, and analyses are available through our website. We also encourage you to contact EIA with questions.
How do I file a FOIA request?
The U.S. Department of Energy's Freedom of Information Act and Privacy Act Group is responsible for administering policies, programs, and procedures to ensure Department compliance with FOlA, including FOIA requests for all DOE agencies. Visit their homepage for: