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| 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 | 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 post was created with the formation of the Department of Energy on October 1, 1977 by President Jimmy Carter's signing of the Department of Energy Organization Act. The position was originally developed to focus on energy production and regulation. During the 1980s, the emphasis shifted to development of technology for better, more efficient energy sources as well as education regarding energy. As the Cold War ended, the department's efforts were more often devoted to nuclear waste disposal and maintenance of environmental quality.
| # | Name | Portrait | Took Office | Left Office | President served under |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | James R. Schlesinger |  |
August 6, 1977 | August 23, 1979 | Jimmy Carter |
| 2 | Charles W. Duncan, Jr. |  |
August 24, 1979 | January 20, 1981 | |
| 3 | James B. Edwards |  |
January 23, 1981 | November 5, 1982 | Ronald Reagan |
| 4 | Donald Paul Hodel |  |
November 5, 1982 | February 7, 1985 | |
| 5 | John S. Herrington |  |
February 7, 1985 | January 20, 1989 | |
| 6 | James D. Watkins |  |
March 1, 1989 | January 20, 1993 | George H. W. Bush |
| 7 | Hazel R. O'Leary | |
January 22, 1993 | January 20, 1997 | Bill Clinton |
| 8 | Federico Peña |  |
March 12, 1997 | June 30, 1998 | |
| 9 | Bill Richardson |  |
August 18, 1998 | January 20, 2001 | |
| 10 | Spencer Abraham |  |
January 20, 2001 | February 1, 2005 | George W. Bush |
| 11 | Samuel Bodman |  |
February 1, 2005 | January 20, 2009 | |
| 12 | Steven Chu |  |
January 21, 2009 | April 22, 2013 | Barack Obama |
| 13 | Ernest Moniz |  |
May 16, 2013 | Incumbent |
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