United States Secretary of Energy

United States Secretary of Energy
Official Seal
Incumbent Steven Chu since January 21, 2009
Formation	August 6, 1977
Succession	Fifteenth
Website	www.doe.gov

The United States Secretary of Energy is the head of the United States Department of Energy, a member of the President's Cabinet, and fifteenth in the presidential line of succession. The position was formed on October 1, 1977 with the creation of the Department of Energy when President Jimmy Carter signed the Department of Energy Organization Act.^[1] Originally the post focused on energy production and regulation. The emphasis soon shifted to developing technology for better, more efficient energy sources as well as energy education. After the end of the Cold War, the department's also turned toward radioactive waste disposal and maintenance of environmental quality.^[2]

Former Secretary of Defense James Schlesinger was the first Secretary of Energy, who was a Republican nominated to the post by Democratic President Jimmy Carter, the only time a president has appointed someone of another party to the post. Schlesinger is also the only secretary to be dismissed from the post.^[3] Hazel O'Leary, Bill Clinton's first Secretary of Energy, was first female and African-American holder, as well as the longest to hold the position.^[4] The first Hispanic to serve as Energy Secretary was Clinton's second, Federico Peña.^[5] Steven Chu became the first Asian American to hold the position on January 20, 2009, serving under the administration of Barack Obama. He is also the first Nobel Prize winner to be a Cabinet secretary.^[6]

Secretaries of Energy

#	Portrait	Name	State of residence	Took office	Left office	Party	President served under
1		Schlesinger, JamesJames Schlesinger	Virginia	01977-08-06 August 6, 1977	01979-08-06 August 6, 1979	Republican	Carter, JimmyJimmy Carter
2		Duncan, CharlesCharles Duncan	Texas	01979-08-24 August 24, 1979	01981-01-20 January 20, 1981	Democratic	Carter, JimmyJimmy Carter
3		Edwards, JamesJames Edwards	South Carolina	01981-01-23 January 23, 1981	01982-11-05 November 5, 1982	Republican	Reagan, RonaldRonald Reagan
4		Hodel, DonaldDonald Hodel	Oregon	01982-11-05 November 5, 1982	01985-02-07 February 7, 1985	Republican	Reagan, RonaldRonald Reagan
5		Herrington, JohnJohn Herrington	California	01985-02-07 February 7, 1985	01989-01-20 January 20, 1989	Republican	Reagan, RonaldRonald Reagan
6		Watkins, JamesJames Watkins	California	01989-03-01 March 1, 1989	01993-01-20 January 20, 1993	Republican	Bush, George H. W.George H. W. Bush
7		O'Leary, HazelHazel O'Leary	Minnesota	01993-01-22 January 22, 1993	01997-01-20 January 20, 1997	Democratic	Clinton, BillBill Clinton
8		Peña, FedericoFederico Peña	Colorado	01997-03-12 March 12, 1997	01998-06-30 June 30, 1998	Democratic	Clinton, BillBill Clinton
9		Richardson, BillBill Richardson	New Mexico	01998-08-18 August 18, 1998	02001-01-20 January 20, 2001	Democratic	Clinton, BillBill Clinton
10		Abraham, SpencerSpencer Abraham	Michigan	02001-01-20 January 20, 2001	02005-02-01 February 1, 2005	Republican	Bush, George W.George W. Bush
11		Bodman, SamuelSamuel Bodman	Illinois	02005-02-01 February 1, 2005	02009-01-20 January 20, 2009	Republican	Bush, George W.George W. Bush
12		Chu, StevenSteven Chu	California	02009-01-20 January 20, 2009	present	Democratic	Obama, BarackBarack Obama

Related developments

President Barack Obama established a new position in the White House, the Assistant to the President for Energy and Climate Change, and selected Carol Browner for the new post. Browner is a former administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and is currently a principal of the Albright Group LLC, a firm that provides strategic advice to companies.^[7]

See also

• United States Secretary of Transportation

References

External links

• "Official site of U.S. Department of Energy". U.S. Department of Energy. http://www.energy.gov. Retrieved 2007-08-13. 
• "Secretaries of Energy". U.S. Department of Energy. http://www.energy.gov/news/4757.htm. Retrieved 2007-08-13. 

Agencies under the United States Department of Energy Secretary of Energy Deputy Secretary of Energy Office of Intelligence and Counterintelligence · Energy Information Administration Under Secretary of Energy for Energy and Environment Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management · Office of Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability · Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy · Office of Environmental Management · Office of Fossil Energy · Office of Legacy Management · Office of Nuclear Energy, Science & Technology Under Secretary of Energy for Nuclear Security National Nuclear Security Administration Under Secretary of Energy for Science Office of Science Power Marketing Administration Bonneville Power Administration · Southeastern Power Administration · Southwestern Power Administration · Western Area Power Administration National Laboratory System Ames · Argonne (NBL · CNM · APS · ATLAS · EMC) · Berkeley (ALS · MF · NCEM · NERSCC · ESN · JGI) · Brookhaven (AGS · CFN · NSLS · NSLS II · RHIC) · Fermilab (TeV) · Idaho (RESL) · JLab · Livermore (NARAC · NIF)  · Los Alamos (CINT · DARHTF) · NETL (Albany) · NREL · Oak Ridge (SNS · CNMS · HFIR · NCCS · K-25 · Y-12) · Pacific Northwest (EMSL) · PPPL (NSTX · TFTR) · SRNL · Sandia (Z) · SLAC (SSRL) Energy Department Facilities and Reservations Fernald NLO · Hanford · Nevada Test Site (Area 19 · Area 20) · NHHOR · Rocky Flats · SRS · SPR · WIPP · Yucca Mountain Independent Agency Federal Energy Regulatory Commission