← All agencies
Department of Energy
Most recent quarterly backlog
3,378
End of FY2026 Q2 (Jan 1 – Mar 31, 2026)
Latest annual report
2,413
End of FY2024 (Sept 30, 2024)
17-year change
+676%
FY2008 → FY2024 (Oct 1, 2007 – Sept 30, 2024)
Annual backlog, FY2008–FY2024
Pending requests at end of each fiscal year (Oct 1, 2007 – Sept 30, 2024). Federal fiscal year runs Oct 1 – Sept 30, named for the year it ends.
FY08: 311
FY10: 465
FY12: 552
FY14: 522
FY16: 396
FY18: 663
FY20: 676
FY22: 1,004
FY24: 2,413
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).
Backlog
3,378
Received per quarter
769
Processed per quarter
571
10 oldest pending requests, end of FY2024 (Sept 30, 2024)
Days pending counts forward from the day the request was received. The longer this list runs, the more litigation-ripe the agency’s backlog.
| Rank | Date received | Days pending | Years pending |
|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | 2013-05-21 | 2,850 | 7.8 |
| #2 | 2015-09-23 | 2,262 | 6.2 |
| #3 | 2016-02-23 | 2,160 | 5.9 |
| #4 | 2017-02-27 | 1,906 | 5.2 |
| #5 | 2017-02-28 | 1,905 | 5.2 |
| #6 | 2017-05-17 | 1,849 | 5.1 |
| #7 | 2017-06-12 | 1,832 | 5.0 |
| #8 | 2017-06-20 | 1,826 | 5.0 |
| #9 | 2017-07-17 | 1,808 | 5.0 |
| #10 | 2017-08-01 | 1,797 | 4.9 |
Exemption invocations, FY2024 (Oct 1, 2023 – Sept 30, 2024)
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, FY2024 (Oct 1, 2023 – Sept 30, 2024)
Full-time employees
53
Equivalent FTE
36.5
Total FTE
89.5
Annual report history
| FY | Received | Processed | Pending end |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
Download raw data
Every dataset behind this page is available as CSV. Filter by agency name in your spreadsheet of choice.