Department of Energy
Annual backlog, FY2008–FY2025
Pending requests at end of each fiscal year (Oct 1, 2007 – Sept 30, 2025). Federal fiscal year runs Oct 1 – Sept 30, named for the year it ends.
Dashed verticals mark presidential inaugurations.
Recent quarterly activity
Last 22 quarters of received, processed, and backlog. Most recent: FY2026 Q2 (Jan 1 – Mar 31, 2026).
10 oldest pending requests, end of FY2025 (Sept 30, 2025)
Agencies report days pending in working days, counted from the day the request was received; the years column converts to calendar years. The longer this list runs, the more litigation-ripe the agency’s backlog.
| Rank | Date received | Working days pending | Years pending |
|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | 2017-02-28 | 2,155 | 8.6 |
| #2 | 2017-06-12 | 2,082 | 8.3 |
| #3 | 2017-06-20 | 2,076 | 8.3 |
| #4 | 2017-07-17 | 2,058 | 8.2 |
| #5 | 2017-10-10 | 1,999 | 8.0 |
| #6 | 2017-11-20 | 1,971 | 7.9 |
| #7 | 2018-01-23 | 1,929 | 7.7 |
| #8 | 2018-02-06 | 1,919 | 7.6 |
| #9 | 2018-02-20 | 1,910 | 7.6 |
| #10 | 2018-02-20 | 1,910 | 7.6 |
Exemption invocations, FY2025 (Oct 1, 2024 – Sept 30, 2025)
How often each FOIA exemption (b1–b9) was invoked when redacting or denying records. Exemption 5 (deliberative process, attorney-client) is highlighted — it’s the most-fought exemption in FOIA litigation.
FOIA staffing, FY2025 (Oct 1, 2024 – Sept 30, 2025)
Annual report history
| FY | Received | Processed | Pending end |
|---|---|---|---|
| FY2025 | 4,853 | 4,608 | 2,656 |
| FY2024 | 4,283 | 3,250 | 2,413 |
| FY2023 | 2,156 | 1,790 | 1,377 |
| FY2022 | 1,722 | 1,511 | 1,004 |
| FY2021 | 1,492 | 1,408 | 792 |
| FY2020 | 1,453 | 1,416 | 676 |
| FY2019 | 1,855 | 1,883 | 638 |
| FY2018 | 2,073 | 1,893 | 663 |
| FY2017 | 2,215 | 2,127 | 484 |
| FY2016 | 1,974 | 2,008 | 396 |
| FY2015 | 2,356 | 2,445 | 432 |
| FY2014 | 2,219 | 2,274 | 522 |
| FY2013 | 2,078 | 2,046 | 581 |
| FY2012 | 2,257 | 2,258 | 552 |
| FY2011 | 2,315 | 2,222 | 558 |
| FY2010 | 2,206 | 2,149 | 465 |
| FY2009 | 1,809 | 1,752 | 414 |
| FY2008 | 1,605 | 1,714 | 311 |
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