Republican leaders from three top House committees are investigating the Energy Foundation, an environmental group with alleged ties to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). The inquiry follows a Fox News Digital report detailing $3.8 million in contributions from the Energy Foundation to U.S. climate groups. These include the Rocky Mountain Institute, the International Council on Clean Transportation, and the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC)
The chairs of the House Energy and Commerce, Science Space and Technology, and Natural Resources committees — Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA), Frank Lucas (R-OK), and Bruce Westerman (R-Ark) — sent a letter to Energy Foundation CEO and President Ji Chou notifying him of their investigation.
“China has already attempted to influence United States policy and opinion regarding China through covert influence and exploit perceived societal divisions,” McMorris Rodgers, Lucas, and Westerman wrote. “As such, we are alarmed by attempts of China-affiliated organizations attempting to influence United States energy policy.”
While the Energy Foundation’s headquarters is in San Francisco, most of its operations are based in China, and its staff has extensive connections to the CCP. The group refers to itself as “Energy Foundation China” and split from the United States Energy Foundation in 2020. Many of its members have served in high-ranking roles within Chinese government agencies and state-run research institutions. Chou previously served as the deputy director general of China’s National Center for Climate Change Strategy.
The GOP leaders involved in the investigation requested documents and contracts linked to the Energy Foundation’s financial transactions. The investigation is part of broader Republican efforts to analyze how Chinese entities might influence environmental groups and their increasing engagement with the Chinese government on climate change issues.
