US Energy Secretary Threatens to Pull America Out of IEA Over Agency's Climate Focus

On a winter evening in Paris, inside the stately halls of the French Institute of International Relations, US Energy Secretary Chris Wright delivered a blunt ultimatum to one of the world's most influential energy bodies. The United States, he warned, could walk away from the International Energy Agency if the organization does not abandon what he called its fixation on climate advocacy Les Etats-Unis menacent de quitter l’Agence internationale de l’énergie si elle continue ses travaux sur la transition énergétiquepolitico.eu·SecondaryPARIS — Le ministre américain de l’Energie, Chris Wright, a menacé ce mardi de retirer les Etats-Unis de l’Agence internationale de l’énergie (AIE), dont les travaux sur le déploiement des renouvelables vont à rebours de la politique en faveur des combustibles fossiles menée par l’administration Trump. “Si une grande partie des agences de reporting de données se consacrent à ce genre de fantasmes gauchistes [....

"If a large part of data reporting agencies devote themselves to these kinds of leftist fantasies … that can only distort their mission," Wright said at the Tuesday conference, just hours before he was scheduled to attend a two-day IEA ministerial meeting in the French capital US threatens to quit International Energy Agency if it doesn’t drop green transitionpolitico.eu·SecondaryPARIS — U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright on Tuesday threatened to pull America out of the International Energy Agency, whose work on deploying renewables conflicts with the pro-fossil fuel policy of the Trump administration. "If a large part of data reporting agencies devote themselves to these kinds of leftist fantasies ... that can only distort their mission," Wright told a early-evening conference at the French Institute of International Relations in Paris.. The remarks represent the sharpest public confrontation yet between the Trump administration and the Paris-based agency that has shaped global energy policy for more than half a century.

The IEA was founded in 1974, in the chaotic aftermath of the Arab oil embargo that sent petroleum prices soaring fourfold and triggered the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression. US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger rallied the world's largest oil-consuming nations to create a multilateral body that would pool energy data, coordinate strategic petroleum reserves, and prevent a repeat of the crisis Les Etats-Unis menacent de quitter l’Agence internationale de l’énergie si elle continue ses travaux sur la transition énergétiquepolitico.eu·SecondaryPARIS — Le ministre américain de l’Energie, Chris Wright, a menacé ce mardi de retirer les Etats-Unis de l’Agence internationale de l’énergie (AIE), dont les travaux sur le déploiement des renouvelables vont à rebours de la politique en faveur des combustibles fossiles menée par l’administration Trump. “Si une grande partie des agences de reporting de données se consacrent à ce genre de fantasmes gauchistes [.... For decades, the agency stuck closely to that mandate, serving as a trusted clearinghouse for supply-and-demand forecasting and emergency response coordination.

That began to change around 2015, when the IEA expanded its mission to include support for the global clean energy transition. Under the leadership of Executive Director Fatih Birol, the agency started publishing net-zero emissions scenarios and advocating for rapid deployment of renewable energy sources. Its annual World Energy Outlook reports became required reading not only for oil traders and utility executives but also for climate policymakers and green investment funds Les Etats-Unis menacent de quitter l’Agence internationale de l’énergie si elle continue ses travaux sur la transition énergétiquepolitico.eu·SecondaryPARIS — Le ministre américain de l’Energie, Chris Wright, a menacé ce mardi de retirer les Etats-Unis de l’Agence internationale de l’énergie (AIE), dont les travaux sur le déploiement des renouvelables vont à rebours de la politique en faveur des combustibles fossiles menée par l’administration Trump. “Si une grande partie des agences de reporting de données se consacrent à ce genre de fantasmes gauchistes [....

Critics, however, argue that the IEA drifted far from its original purpose. Wright accused the agency of behaving like a "climate advocacy organization" and urged it to refocus on "energy security" — the reason it was created US threatens to quit International Energy Agency if it doesn’t drop green transitionpolitico.eu·SecondaryPARIS — U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright on Tuesday threatened to pull America out of the International Energy Agency, whose work on deploying renewables conflicts with the pro-fossil fuel policy of the Trump administration. "If a large part of data reporting agencies devote themselves to these kinds of leftist fantasies ... that can only distort their mission," Wright told a early-evening conference at the French Institute of International Relations in Paris.. "We don't need a net-zero scenario, that's ridiculous, that's never going to happen," he continued, dismissing the modeling framework that has underpinned much of the global conversation about decarbonization US threatens to quit International Energy Agency if it doesn’t drop green transitionpolitico.eu·SecondaryPARIS — U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright on Tuesday threatened to pull America out of the International Energy Agency, whose work on deploying renewables conflicts with the pro-fossil fuel policy of the Trump administration. "If a large part of data reporting agencies devote themselves to these kinds of leftist fantasies ... that can only distort their mission," Wright told a early-evening conference at the French Institute of International Relations in Paris..

The threat is not new, but it is escalating. Wright first warned the IEA in a Bloomberg interview last July, saying: "We're going to change the way the IEA operates, or we're going to pull out" Les Etats-Unis menacent de quitter l’Agence internationale de l’énergie si elle continue ses travaux sur la transition énergétiquepolitico.eu·SecondaryPARIS — Le ministre américain de l’Energie, Chris Wright, a menacé ce mardi de retirer les Etats-Unis de l’Agence internationale de l’énergie (AIE), dont les travaux sur le déploiement des renouvelables vont à rebours de la politique en faveur des combustibles fossiles menée par l’administration Trump. “Si une grande partie des agences de reporting de données se consacrent à ce genre de fantasmes gauchistes [.... Since Donald Trump returned to the White House in January 2025, the administration has pressured IEA leadership to scale back its transition-related work, and the agency has shown signs of accommodation. In its November 2025 annual report, the IEA reintroduced a scenario based on current policy trends — a notable concession to countries skeptical of aggressive decarbonization timelines. It also revised its peak oil demand forecast: where it had once projected demand peaking in the 2030s, the agency now anticipates continued growth through mid-century Les Etats-Unis menacent de quitter l’Agence internationale de l’énergie si elle continue ses travaux sur la transition énergétiquepolitico.eu·SecondaryPARIS — Le ministre américain de l’Energie, Chris Wright, a menacé ce mardi de retirer les Etats-Unis de l’Agence internationale de l’énergie (AIE), dont les travaux sur le déploiement des renouvelables vont à rebours de la politique en faveur des combustibles fossiles menée par l’administration Trump. “Si une grande partie des agences de reporting de données se consacrent à ce genre de fantasmes gauchistes [....

For the IEA's defenders, these concessions are troubling. The agency's clean energy work has been credited with providing the analytical backbone for trillions of dollars in renewable investment decisions worldwide. Governments from the European Union to Japan have relied on IEA scenarios to set emissions targets and design subsidy programs. Removing the net-zero framework, critics of Wright's position argue, would leave a vacuum in global energy analysis at precisely the moment when the world needs more clarity, not less.

But Wright's perspective resonates with a substantial constituency that views the IEA's climate pivot as mission creep. Energy security hawks point out that the world still runs overwhelmingly on fossil fuels — more than 80 percent of global primary energy comes from oil, gas, and coal. The United States, now the world's largest oil and gas producer, has a different set of priorities than it did in 1974 when it was an anxious net importer. From this vantage point, an agency that devotes significant resources to modeling a world without fossil fuels is not serving its largest funder's interests.

The financial dimension of the dispute is significant. The United States is the IEA's single largest contributor, and a withdrawal would strip the agency of both funding and political legitimacy. The precedent is not without parallel: the Trump administration has already pulled the US out of the Paris climate accord for the second time and has signaled skepticism toward other multilateral environmental commitments. For the IEA, losing its founding member would be an existential blow.

European reaction to Wright's remarks has been measured but concerned. The EU remains committed to its Green Deal and relies heavily on IEA data and analysis for policy planning. France, which hosts the agency, has a particular stake in its survival and relevance. Yet European leaders also recognize that the IEA cannot function effectively without American participation, creating a delicate diplomatic balancing act as the ministerial meetings proceed on Wednesday and Thursday US threatens to quit International Energy Agency if it doesn’t drop green transitionpolitico.eu·SecondaryPARIS — U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright on Tuesday threatened to pull America out of the International Energy Agency, whose work on deploying renewables conflicts with the pro-fossil fuel policy of the Trump administration. "If a large part of data reporting agencies devote themselves to these kinds of leftist fantasies ... that can only distort their mission," Wright told a early-evening conference at the French Institute of International Relations in Paris..

The timing of Wright's broadside is also notable. He spoke just hours before the IEA ministerial — the agency's highest-level governance forum — suggesting the comments were intended as leverage rather than a final decision. Wright himself acknowledged that the US had seen some reforms but said Washington was "not satisfied yet" with the pace of change Les Etats-Unis menacent de quitter l’Agence internationale de l’énergie si elle continue ses travaux sur la transition énergétiquepolitico.eu·SecondaryPARIS — Le ministre américain de l’Energie, Chris Wright, a menacé ce mardi de retirer les Etats-Unis de l’Agence internationale de l’énergie (AIE), dont les travaux sur le déploiement des renouvelables vont à rebours de la politique en faveur des combustibles fossiles menée par l’administration Trump. “Si une grande partie des agences de reporting de données se consacrent à ce genre de fantasmes gauchistes [.... The implication is that the door remains open for a deal in which the IEA further de-emphasizes climate transition work in exchange for continued American membership.

Wright also used his Paris trip to take aim at European energy policy more broadly. In a separate interview, he described what he called a "climate cult" that he said was hurting Europe's economy, pointing to high energy prices and industrial competitiveness concerns that have plagued the continent since the disruption of Russian gas supplies in 2022 Les Etats-Unis menacent de quitter l’Agence internationale de l’énergie si elle continue ses travaux sur la transition énergétiquepolitico.eu·SecondaryPARIS — Le ministre américain de l’Energie, Chris Wright, a menacé ce mardi de retirer les Etats-Unis de l’Agence internationale de l’énergie (AIE), dont les travaux sur le déploiement des renouvelables vont à rebours de la politique en faveur des combustibles fossiles menée par l’administration Trump. “Si une grande partie des agences de reporting de données se consacrent à ce genre de fantasmes gauchistes [.... The characterization drew sharp reactions from environmental groups but found a receptive audience among European industrialists who have complained about the cost of green regulations.

The standoff raises a fundamental question about the future of multilateral energy governance. If the IEA retreats from its clean energy work to keep Washington at the table, it risks alienating European and Asian members who consider the transition essential. If it holds firm, it could lose the United States entirely, undermining its authority on the energy security questions that remain its core business. The ministerial meetings this week may not resolve the tension, but they will reveal how much room for compromise exists between an agency trying to straddle two missions and an American administration determined to make it choose.