What Does the Secretary of Energy Do?

Updated January 30, 2025

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Depart of Energy Building — MingzheZhang / Getty Images

The Department of Energy is the 12th Cabinet-level department. It was established in 1977 during President Carter's administration. The department’s mission was to oversee the development and testing of the country’s nuclear weapons and coordinate the various loosely organized energy programs established by the federal government.

The position also manages the nation's energy infrastructure and funds scientific research related to energy production and distribution.

The government took a relatively hands-off approach to energy production and policy until the 1970s but the energy crisis of the mid-1970s changed that. The Department of Energy was created to addres🐠s the problem and develop a comprehensive national en💧ergy plan that included nuclear energy technology.

Key Takeaways

The Department of Energy is responsible for managing the United States’ nuclear weapons program and carrying out energy policy.
The Cabinet-level department was first established in 1977 under the Carter administration in response to the energy crisis of that decade.
The secretary must be appointed by the president and then confirmed by the Senate before being officially sworn in.
President Trump nominated Chris Wright as Secretary of Energy shortly after his 2024 election.

The Secretary of Energy in 2025

President Donald Trump nominated oil executive Chris Wright as the country’s Secretary of Energy shortly after his November 2024 election. Wright is the founder of Pinnacle Technologies, a fracking company, and is a former chairman of Stroud Energy, a shale gas production company.

Wright's Senate confirmation hearing was held on Jan. 15, 2024. He's come under some fire following the Southern California wildfires for having once stated that "wildfires are just hype." Protestors interrupted the confirmation proceedings several times. A verdict on his confirmation is pending as of the end of January 2025.

Choosing a Secretary of Energy

The Secretary of Energy is appointed by the president as are all Cabinet-level positions. They're then confirmed by the Senate and serve at the president’s discretion. Each president takes his own approach. Some make political appointments while others choose candidates based on particular knowledge in the fields of science and energy. Some are chosen for their executive experience in managing other government agencies:

James Schlesinger, the first Secretary of Energy, was an economics Ph.D. who originally served under Presidents Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford as a budget director, director of central intelligence, and Secretary of Defense. Schlesinger was then appointed Secretary of Energy by President Jimmy Carter.
Federico Peña was President Bill Clinton’s second energy secretary. Peña was the former mayor of Denver before being appointed to lead the Department of Transportation and ultimately the Department of Energy under Clinton.
Samuel Bodman was appointed by President George W. Bush in 2005. Bodman was an MIT-educated Doctor of Science in chemical engineering who also served as deputy secretary of both the Treasury and Commerce before assuming the top job at Energy.
Steven Chu was President Barack Obama’s first Secretary of Energy, Chu earned a Ph.D. in physics from the University of California, Berkeley, where he went on to teach as a professor of physics and molecular biology before accepting the secretary position in 2009.

Rick Perry was confirmed by President Donald Trump during Trump's first term. Perry earned a B.S. in animal science from Texas A&M and served as governor of Texas from 2000 to 2015.
Jennifer Granholm is the former governor of Michigan where she promoted pro-green policies for the auto industry. She served as energy secretary in the Biden administration.

The Role of Secretary of Energy

The Department of Energy is a sprawling 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:bureaucracy. It requested a budget of almost $52 billion for 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:fiscal year (FY) 2024.

The department’s list of responsibilities includes the nation’s nuclear weapons programs, the Navy’s nuclear energy program, energy research and conservation, clean energy technologies, and domestic energy policy. The Energy Department spends more on physical science research through the National Laboratories than any other federal agency.

The Secretary of Energy oversees the entire Energy apparatus and portfolio along with assistants and undersecretaries. The department’s mission statement is to "ensure America’s security and prosperity by addressing its energy, environmental and nuclear challenges through transformative science and technology solutions."

Important

The secretary advises the president on matters of ๊energy and nuclear security and advances the p𝓡resident’s agenda and policy objectives.

Secretary of Energy Salary

Pay for Cabinet secretaries is set by Title 5 of the United States Code. Cabinet officials are designated as Level 1 of the Executive Schedule which carried an annual salary of $246,400 in 2024.

Cabinet secretaries serve at the request of the president. They're not appointed to set terms like appointees to federal boards such as the National Labor Relations Board where each member serves a five-year term.

Key Points in Secretary History

The first Secretary of Energy, James Schlesinger, was a Republican nominated by President Jimmy Carter, a Democrat. Schlesinger was the only person ever dismissed from the position.

Hazel O’Leary served as Secretary of Energy under President Bill Clinton. O'Leary was the first woman to hold the position. She was also the first African American to take on the role.

Dan Brouillette was the shortest-serving Secretary of Energy, lasting just 14 months in the role in the first Trump administration. Steven Chu was the longest, serving under President Barack Obama from January 2009 through April 2013.

What Was the Energy Crisis of the Mid-1970s?

The 1970s oil crisis was prompted by the Yom-Kippur War in 1973 followed by the Iranian Revolution in 1979. Both significantly disrupted oil supplies to several nations. The cost of these supplies skyrocketed as a result.

What Are the National Laboratories?

The U.S. Department of Energy says that the National Laboratories are charged with "translating basic science to innovation." They address issues such as climate change from their top-notch facilities. Seventeen National Laboratories operate under the Department of Energy as of 2025.

Why Was James Schlesinger Dismissed As Secretary?

Schlesinger was in frequent contention with Secretary of State Henry Kissinger as well as with several instrumental members of Congress and President Ford. He was reportedly very vocal about it. One of his significant objections to Kissinger was that the Secretary of State supported SALT. Schlesinger served from July 1973 until November 1975.

The Bottom Line

The Secretary of Energy is charged with carrying out the U.S. energy policy and the nuclear weapons and energy programs. Responsibilit𒁏ies include oversight of research, energy policies, and clean energy technology. The secretary must be appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate. President Trump has nominated Chris Wright in his second term. Wright’s appointment is pending as of the end of January 2025.

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