Reducing an involved logical argument (or a detailed empirical study) to its essential elements usually makes it more accessible and can help us focus future research. Reister's comment on our paper purports to provide such a summary of our findings. Indeed, it might appear that he has...

In the late 1970s, the Energy Information Administration initiated a program calling for review and evaluation of its data and validation of energy models used in support of the policymaking process. One of the more controversial aspects of this program was the effort to validate the large-scale...