An email obtained by Politico reveals a "list of words to avoid," which was allegedly sent out by the United States Department of Energy's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. The email was sent on Friday, September 26, 2025, and adds three words/terms to a growing list of things for public officials to avoid using:
These instructions reportedly apply to both public-facing statements made by DOE officials and for internal communications, even requests for federal funding and reports. In addition to the banned words, officials are told to avoid using the word "emissions," because it sounds like a negative term. The EPA has already been hard at work deregulating emissions rules for automakers. Other terms on the list to avoid include: energy transition, sustainability, sustainable, clean energy, dirty energy, carbon, CO², footprint, tax breaks, tax credits, and subsidies.
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