SPR maintenance failures triple the official count; Congress and DOE have no unified fix

The GAO found 16 major equipment failures at the Strategic Petroleum Reserve since 2013—more than triple the 5 DOE reported. Failures hit raw water piping and brine disposal systems. The May 2026 GAO report shows Congress and DOE lack a unified maintenance plan. The reserve sits at 319.5 million barrels, its lowest since April 1983.