Department of Energy: What Does the Secretary of Energy Do?

The secretary of energy leads the US Department of Energy, a cabinet-level department based in Washington, DC. The president nominates the energy secretary, who the US Senate then confirms by a majority vote.

The secretary of energy works with numerous appointees, including a chief of staff, a deputy secretary of energy, an undersecretary of energy for science, an undersecretary of energy for nuclear security, and multiple persons in the role of assistant secretary of energy (for the respective offices of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy; Nuclear Energy; and International Affairs), among other positions.

The scope of the secretary's duties within the Department of Energy has evolved from administration to administration. Here are key touchpoints in the history of the role:

• Creation of the department: President Jimmy Carter created the United States Department of Energy in 1977. Carter, a Democrat, named Republican James Schlesinger of Virginia as the United States’s first energy secretary.
• The department’s initial scope: From its inception, the Energy Department has focused on matters related to nuclear power. In some cases, this involves energy production. In other cases, it relates to national security. The department came to be during the Cold War when nuclear nonproliferation constituted a critical duty of the federal government. This mission continues, but the department has since expanded in scope.
• The secretary’s initial duties: From the start, the secretary of energy also buttressed the nation's energy security. The Department of Energy has promoted energy research and investments that source more energy domestically, while also limiting the emissions associated with fossil fuels like coal, oil, and natural gas.
• Expansion of the role: Barack Obama and Joe Biden have instructed their energy secretaries to direct the department's focus toward clean energy technologies, including solar power, wind power, geothermal energy, and safe forms of nuclear power.

A large percentage of the US secretary of energy's duties relate to nuclear power and nuclear weapons. The role has also expanded to focus more on renewable energy, energy policy, and combating climate change. Some of the duties of the secretary of energy include:

• Nuclear weapons: The National Nuclear Security Administration maintains the nation's nuclear weapons program and promotes nuclear safety worldwide.
• Research: The US Department of Energy maintains a series of national laboratories that house scientific research
• Climate change: Through the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), the role promotes clean power and combats climate change.
• Green alternatives: The energy secretary electrifies sectors commonly linked to fossil fuels by promoting technologies, such as electric vehicles and modern electric stoves.
• Energy production: The secretary collaborates with the White House, Congress, and other cabinet departments (such as the Department of the Interior) to manage US energy production.

Former Secretaries of Energy
In February 2021, Jennifer Granholm of Michigan became the secretary of energy, serving under President Joe Biden. Previous secretaries include:

• Rick Perry: From 2017 to 2019 Rick Perry was the energy secretary under the Donald Trump Administration.
• Dan Brouillette: Dan Brouillette also served under Trump’s administration.
• Ernest Moniz: Barack Obama appointed Ernest Moniz as the secretary of energy. He served in the role between 2013 and 2017.
• Steven Chu: Physicist Steven Chu worked under the Barack Obama Administration.
• Spencer Abraham: Spencer Abraham served between 2001 and 2005 under the George W. Bush Administration
• Bill Richardson: Under the Bill Clinton Administration, Bill Richardson worked as the energy secretary.

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