United States Department of Energy facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
United States Department of Energy

Seal of the U.S. Department of Energy
James V. Forrestal Building, headquarter building named after James Forrestal
Agency overview
Formed	August 4, 1977; 47 years ago (1977-08-04)
Preceding agencies	Federal Energy Administration (FEA) Energy Research and Development Administration (ERDA)
Jurisdiction	U.S. federal government
Headquarters	James V. Forrestal Building 1000 Independence Avenue Southwest, Washington, D.C., U.S. 38°53′13″N 77°1′34″W / 38.88694°N 77.02611°W / 38.88694; -77.02611
Employees	14,382 federal civilian (2018) 93,094 contract (2008)
Annual budget	$31.7 billion (2020)
Agency executives	Chris Wright, Secretary Vacant, Deputy Secretary
Key document	Department of Energy Organization Act

The United States Department of Energy (DOE) is an executive department of the U.S. federal government that oversees U.S. national energy policy and energy production, the research and development of nuclear power, the military's nuclear weapons program, nuclear reactor production for the United States Navy, energy-related research, and energy conservation.

The DOE was created in 1977 in the aftermath of the 1973 oil crisis. It sponsors more physical science research than any other U.S. federal agency, the majority of which is conducted through its system of National Laboratories. The DOE also directs research in genomics, with the Human Genome Project originating from a DOE initiative.

The department is headed by the secretary of energy, who reports directly to the president of the United States and is a member of the Cabinet. The current secretary of energy is Chris Wright, who has served in the position since February 2025. The department's headquarters are in southwestern Washington, D.C., in the James V. Forrestal Building, with additional offices in Germantown, Maryland.

Organization

Organizational chart of the US Department of Energy after the February 2022 reorganization

The department announced a reorganization with new names of under secretaries in 2022.

The department is under the control and supervision of a United States Secretary of Energy, a political appointee of the President of the United States. The Energy Secretary is assisted in managing the department by a United States Deputy Secretary of Energy, also appointed by the president, who assumes the duties of the secretary in the secretary's absence. The department also has three under secretaries, each appointed by the president, who oversee the major areas of the department's work. The president also appoints seven officials with the rank of Assistant Secretary of Energy who have line management responsibility for major organizational elements of the department. The Energy Secretary assigns their functions and duties.

Symbolism in the seal

Excerpt from the Code of Federal Regulations, in Title 10: Energy:

The official seal of the Department of Energy "includes a green shield bisected by a gold-colored lightning bolt, on which is emblazoned a gold-colored symbolic sun, atom, oil derrick, windmill, and dynamo. It is crested by the white head of an eagle, atop a white rope. Both appear on a blue field surrounded by concentric circles in which the name of the agency, in gold, appears on a green background."

"The eagle represents the care in planning and the purposefulness of efforts required to respond to the Nation's increasing demands for energy. The sun, atom, oil derrick, windmill, and dynamo serve as representative technologies whose enhanced development can help meet these demands. The rope represents the cohesiveness in the development of the technologies and their link to our future capabilities. The lightning bolt represents the power of the natural forces from which energy is derived and the Nation's challenge in harnessing the forces."

"The color scheme is derived from nature, symbolizing both the source of energy and the support of man's existence. The blue field represents air and water, green represents mineral resources and the earth itself, and gold represents the creation of energy in the release of natural forces. By invoking this symbolism, the color scheme represents the Nation's commitment to meet its energy needs in a manner consistent with the preservation of the natural environment."

Facilities

The Department of Energy operates a system of national laboratories and technical facilities for research and development, as follows:

Other major DOE facilities include:

Airstrip:

• Pahute Mesa Airstrip – Nye County, Nevada, part of Nevada National Security Site

Nuclear weapons sites

A map that details the federal land in southern Nevada, showing Nevada Test Site

The DOE/NNSA has federal responsibility for the design, testing and production of all nuclear weapons. NNSA in turn uses contractors to carry out its responsibilities at the following government owned sites:

• Research, development, and manufacturing guidance: Los Alamos National Laboratory and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
• Engineering of the non-nuclear components and system integration: Sandia National Laboratories
• Manufacturing of key components: The Kansas City Plant, Savannah River Site and Y-12 National Security Complex.
• Testing: Nevada Test Site
• Final weapon and warhead assembling and dismantling: Pantex

Related legislation

Sign in front of the United States Department of Energy Forrestal Building on 1000 Independence Avenue in Washington D.C.

• 1920 – Federal Power Act
• 1935 – Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935
• 1946 – Atomic Energy Act PL 79-585 (created the Atomic Energy Commission) [Superseded by the Atomic Energy Act of 1954]
• 1954 – Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as Amended PL 83-703
• 1956 – Colorado River Storage Project PL 84-485
• 1957 – Atomic Energy Commission Acquisition of Property PL 85-162
• 1957 – Price-Anderson Nuclear Industries Indemnity Act PL 85-256
• 1968 – Natural Gas Pipeline Safety Act PL 90-481
• 1973 – Mineral Leasing Act Amendments (Trans-Alaska Oil Pipeline Authorization) PL 93-153
• 1974 – Energy Reorganization Act PL 93-438 (Split the AEC into the Energy Research and Development Administration and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission)
• 1975 – Energy Policy and Conservation Act PL 94-163
• 1977 – Department of Energy Organization Act PL 95-91 (Dismantled ERDA and replaced it with the Department of Energy)
• 1978 – National Energy Act PL 95-617, 618, 619, 620, 621
• 1980 – Energy Security Act PL 96-294
• 1989 – Natural Gas Wellhead Decontrol Act PL 101-60
• 1992 – Energy Policy Act of 1992 PL 102-486
• 2000 – National Nuclear Security Administration Act PL 106-65
• 2005 – Energy Policy Act of 2005 PL 109-58
• 2007 – Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 PL 110-140
• 2008 – Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 PL 110-234

List of secretaries of energy

See also

In Spanish: Departamento de Energía de los Estados Unidos para niños

• Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
• National Council on Electricity Policy
• United States federal executive departments