LONDON — Trump administration officials are attempting to block the world’s most important energy research agency from producing data that the U.S. government argues favors renewable power over fossil fuels.
At recent meetings of the International Energy Agency, U.S. officials pushed the body, which publishes influential energy market forecasts, to cease its work promoting the global shift to clean power and net-zero carbon emissions, according to two people briefed on the discussions.
Tommy Joyce, a Trump supporter who is acting assistant secretary of international affairs at the U.S. Energy Department, has pushed for the organization to go “back to basics” during the closed meetings, said one of the people.
Irked European officials pushed back against the U.S. pressure, defending the agency’s efforts on clean power research.
