Trump team pushes for ouster of top IEA official

Source: Politico

08/09/2025 02:00 PM EDT


The Trump administration is aiming to replace a top-ranking official at the International Energy Agency, amid a ratcheted-up U.S. pressure campaign on the Paris-based body, multiple energy industry insiders and former U.S. officials with knowledge of the situation told POLITICO’s E&E News.

The agency’s second-in-command, a retired State Department official named Mary Warlick, is the main target for replacement, said the insiders, who were granted anonymity to speak freely.

The pressure follows months of public frustrations with the IEA from top Trump administration officials, most notably Energy Secretary Chris Wright, who has vowed to make changes at the body or withdraw U.S. support. Some Republicans say the IEA has discouraged investment in fossil fuels by publishing analyses that show near-term peaks in global demand for oil and gas.

“The product that the IEA produces is not generally accepted by everybody. It’s just not,” said Mark Menezes, who served as deputy Energy secretary during Trump’s first term. “And the political context has changed.” The Trump administration is aiming to push changes internally, according to a Republican energy lobbyist with close ties to the Department of Energy.

Read more: https://www.politico.com/news/2025/08/09/trump-team-pushes-for-ouster-of-top-iea-official-cw-00495441