United States Secretary of Energy facts for kids

Quick facts for kids United States Secretary of Energy
Flag of the secretary
Seal of the department
Incumbent Chris Wright since February 4, 2025
United States Department of Energy
Style	Mr. Secretary (informal) The Honorable (formal)
Member of	United States Cabinet United States National Security Council
Reports to	President of the United States
Seat	James V. Forrestal Building, Washington, D.C.
Appointer	President of the United States with Senate advice and consent
Term length	No fixed term
Constituting instrument	42 U.S.C. § 7131
Formation	August 6, 1977
First holder	James R. Schlesinger
Succession	Fifteenth
Deputy	Deputy Secretary
Salary	Executive Schedule, level I

The United States Secretary of Energy is a very important job in the U.S. government. This person leads the United States Department of Energy. They are also a member of the Cabinet of the United States. The Cabinet is a group of top advisors to the President. The Secretary of Energy is also 15th in line to become President if something happens to the President and other leaders.

This job was created on October 1, 1977. President Jimmy Carter signed a law to start the Department of Energy. At first, the Secretary and the department focused on making and controlling energy. Over time, their work changed. They started to focus on new ways to create energy. They also worked on teaching people about energy. After the Cold War, they also began to deal with radioactive waste. They also worked on keeping the environment clean.

James R. Schlesinger was the first Secretary of Energy. He was a Republican, but President Jimmy Carter, a Democrat, chose him. This was the only time a president picked someone from a different political party for this job. Schlesinger was also the only Secretary to be removed from the job.

Hazel R. O'Leary was the first woman and first African American to hold this position. She was chosen by President Bill Clinton. Federico Peña was the first Hispanic person to be Secretary of Energy. He also served under President Clinton. Spencer Abraham was the first Arab American to hold the job. He was appointed by President George W. Bush in 2001.

Steven Chu became the first Asian American Secretary of Energy. He was appointed by President Barack Obama in 2009. Chu held the job for the longest time. He was also the first person to join the Cabinet after winning a Nobel Prize. Jennifer Granholm became the second woman to lead the department. She was confirmed in 2021 under President Joe Biden. The current Secretary of Energy is Chris Wright. He started his job on February 4, 2025.

What the Secretary of Energy Does

The Secretary of Energy has many important tasks. They help make sure the United States has enough energy. They also work on finding new and cleaner energy sources. This includes things like solar power and wind power.

Keeping Our Nation Safe

The Secretary of Energy has a special role in national safety. They are in charge of the nation's nuclear weapons. This means they help make sure these weapons are built and kept safely. They also oversee how old nuclear weapons are taken apart. This job helps keep these powerful tools under civilian control. This means people who are not in the military are in charge.

The Department of Energy works to keep these weapons safe. They make sure they are stored properly when not in use. The U.S. has reduced its number of nuclear weapons over time. Many older weapons are being taken apart. Their special fuel, like plutonium, is reused for other things. This can include fuel for power plants or space exploration.

Meet the Secretaries of Energy

This table shows all the people who have served as the United States Secretary of Energy.

      Democratic (7)       Republican (10)

Status

      Acting Secretary of Energy

No.	Portrait	Name	State of residence	Took office	Left office	Party	President(s)
1	James Schlesinger	Schlesinger, JamesJames Schlesinger	Virginia	August 6, 1977	August 23, 1979	Republican		Carter, JimmyJimmy Carter (1977–1981)
2	Charles Duncan Jr.	Duncan, CharlesCharles Duncan	Texas	August 24, 1979	January 20, 1981	Democratic
3	James B. Edwards	Edwards, JamesJames Edwards	South Carolina	January 23, 1981	November 5, 1982	Republican		Reagan, RonaldRonald Reagan (1981–1989)
4	Donald P. Hodel	Hodel, DonaldDonald Hodel	Oregon	November 5, 1982	February 7, 1985	Republican
5	John S. Herrington	Herrington, JohnJohn Herrington	California	February 7, 1985	January 20, 1989	Republican
6	James D. Watkins	Watkins, JamesJames Watkins	California	March 1, 1989	January 20, 1993	Republican		Bush, George H. W.George H. W. Bush (1989–1993)
7	Hazel R. O'Leary	O'Leary, HazelHazel O'Leary	Virginia	January 22, 1993	January 20, 1997	Democratic		Clinton, BillBill Clinton (1993–2001)
–	Charles B. Curtis	Curtis, Charles B.Charles B. Curtis	Pennsylvania	January 20, 1997	March 12, 1997	Democratic
8	Federico Peña	Peña, FedericoFederico Peña	Colorado	March 12, 1997	June 30, 1998	Democratic
9	Bill Richardson	Richardson, BillBill Richardson	New Mexico	August 18, 1998	January 20, 2001	Democratic
10	Spencer Abraham	Abraham, SpencerSpencer Abraham	Michigan	January 20, 2001	February 1, 2005	Republican		Bush, George W.George W. Bush (2001–2009)
11	Samuel Bodman	Bodman, SamuelSamuel Bodman	Illinois	February 1, 2005	January 20, 2009	Republican
12	Steven Chu	Chu, StevenSteven Chu	California	January 20, 2009	April 22, 2013	Democratic		Obama, BarackBarack Obama (2009–2017)
–	Daniel Poneman	Poneman, DanielDaniel Poneman	Ohio	April 22, 2013	May 21, 2013	Democratic
13	Ernest Moniz	Moniz, ErnestErnest Moniz	Massachusetts	May 21, 2013	January 20, 2017	Democratic
–	Grace Bochenek	Bochenek, GraceGrace Bochenek		January 20, 2017	March 2, 2017			Trump, DonaldDonald Trump (2017–2021)
14	Rick Perry	Perry, RickRick Perry	Texas	March 2, 2017	December 1, 2019	Republican
15	Dan Brouillette	Brouillette, DanDan Brouillette	Texas	December 1, 2019	December 4, 2019	Republican
				December 4, 2019	January 20, 2021
–	David G. Huizenga	Huizenga, DavidDavid Huizenga		January 20, 2021	February 25, 2021	Democratic		Biden, JoeJoe Biden (2021–2025)
16	Secretary Jennifer Granholm	Granholm, JenniferJennifer Granholm	Michigan	February 25, 2021	January 20, 2025	Democratic
–	Ingrid Kolb	Kolb, IngridIngrid Kolb		January 20, 2025	February 4, 2025	Republican		Trump, DonaldDonald Trump (2025–present)
17	Chris Wright	Wright, ChrisChris Wright	Colorado	February 4, 2025	present	Republican

See also

• United States Secretary of Transportation
• White House Office of Energy and Climate Change Policy