| United States Secretary of Energy |
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|---|---|
Official Seal |
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| Formation | August 6, 1977 |
| First holder | James R. Schlesinger |
| Succession | 15th |
| 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 attention 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 and only Nobel Prize winner to be a Cabinet secretary.[6]
Contents |
| No. | Portrait | Name | State of Residence | Took Office | Left Office | President(s) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | James R. Schlesinger | Virginia | August 6, 1977 | August 6, 1979 | Jimmy Carter | ||
| 2 | Charles Duncan | Texas | August 24, 1979 | January 20, 1981 | |||
| 3 | James B. Edwards | South Carolina | January 23, 1981 | November 5, 1982 | Ronald Reagan | ||
| 4 | Donald P. Hodel | Oregon | November 5, 1982 | December 9, 1982 | |||
| December 9, 1982 | February 7, 1985 | ||||||
| 5 | John S. Herrington | California | February 7, 1985 | January 20, 1989 | |||
| - | Donna R. Fitzpatrick | Washington, D. C. | January 20, 1989 | March 1, 1989 | George H. W. Bush | ||
| 6 | James D. Watkins | California | March 1, 1989 | January 20, 1993 | |||
| 7 | Hazel R. O'Leary | Virginia | January 22, 1993 | January 20, 1997 | Bill Clinton | ||
| 8 | Federico Peña | Colorado | March 12, 1997 | June 30, 1998 | |||
| 9 | Bill Richardson | New Mexico | August 18, 1998 | January 20, 2001 | |||
| 10 | Spencer Abraham | Michigan | January 20, 2001 | February 1, 2005 | George W. Bush | ||
| 11 | Samuel W. Bodman | Illinois | February 1, 2005 | January 20, 2009 | |||
| 12 | Steven Chu | California | January 20, 2009 | Incumbent | Barack Obama | ||
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]
| United States presidential line of succession | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Secretary of Transportation |
15th in line | Succeeded by Secretary of Education |
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