The Golden FOIA Office within the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) exists to execute the legal requirements of the Freedom of Information Act (5 U.S.C. § 552(a)(3)(A) (2006), amended by OPEN Government Act of 2007, Pub. L. No. 110175, 121 Stat. 2524). Enacted on July 4, 1966, and taking effect on one year later, the Freedom of Information Act provides that any person has a right, enforceable in court, to obtain access to federal agency records, except to the extent that any portions of such records are protected from public disclosure by one of nine exemptions or by one of three special law enforcement record exclusions.
The United States Supreme Court has explained that "[t]he basic purpose of [the] FOIA is to ensure an informed citizenry, vital to the functioning of a democratic society, needed to check against corruption and to hold the governors accountable to the governed." At the same time, the Supreme Court has also recognized that in enacting the FOIA "Congress sought 'to reach a workable balance between the right of the public to know and the need of the Government'" to protect certain information. The FOIA's "broad provisions favoring disclosure, coupled with the specific exemptions, reveal and present the 'balance' Congress has struck."
Here are some resources regarding FOIA requests:
- EERE Golden Field Office E-FOIA Online Request Form
- How to Submit FOIA
- FOIA Requester Service Centers, Public Liaisons and Web Pages
- Golden Annual FOIA Report
Status of Current Fiscal Year FOIA Requests received by Golden Field Office.
Status of Previous Fiscal Year FOIA Requests received by Golden Field Office.