The Department of Energy (DOE) mission is to advance the national, economic, and energy security of the United States; to promote scientific and technological innovation in support of that mission; and to ensure the environmental cleanup of the national nuclear weapons complex. The records maintained by the DOE often involve proprietary matters, classified matters, innovation matters, and environmental matters. The DOE invokes several of the FOIA’s exemptions to protect information that is:

  • classified as restricted data or formerly restricted data;
  • proprietary;
  • personal; and
  • pre-decisional and deliberative.

These types of information may not be granted under the FOIA to protect national security, proprietary interests of submitters; personal privacy of individuals, and open and frank discussion.