Report: Issa takes aim at Energy Department

But before the first subpoena has been issued, Issa said he already has the answer to whether the department is meeting the needs of Americans.

“The answer is of course not,” he said. “We are more dependent on imported energy. We are no cleaner in energy substantially than we were a generation ago because clean is not a percentage, clean is an absolute term. Our geography has more coal being burned than it did a generation ago. It has more natural gas being burned than it did a generation ago. So even though we’ve increased a few renewables, the absolute consumption of carbon fuel is up not down and more of it is imported.”

Issa’s comments drew quick pushback on the blog Climate Progress, which is affiliated with the liberal Center for American Progress.

“Issa . . . isn’t condemning the DOE. Issa is condemning his fellow Republicans, who have for three decades strongly opposed policies that would address each and every one of those problems — most of which are actually the primary responsibility of agencies other than DOE,” writes Joe Romm, who was a high-level DOE official in the Clinton Administration.

This post was updated at 12:50 p.m.