United States Secretary of Energy
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The United States secretary of energy is the head of the United States Department of Energy, a member of the Cabinet of the United States and fifteenth in the presidential line of succession. The position was created on October 1, 1977, when President Jimmy Carter signed the Department of Energy Organization Act,[1] establishing the department. Originally, the secretary and the department focused on energy production and regulation. Over time, the emphasis shifted to developing technology for more efficient energy sources and energy education. After the Cold War, the department's attention also turned to radioactive waste disposal and environmental quality maintenance.[2] Former Secretary of Defense James Schlesinger was the first secretary of energy. As a Republican nominated by Democratic President Jimmy Carter, Schlesinger’s appointment remains the only instance of a president choosing a member of another political party for the position. Schlesinger is also the only secretary to be dismissed from the post.[3] Hazel O'Leary, Bill Clinton’s first secretary of energy, was the first female and first African American to hold the position.[4] The first Hispanic to serve as energy secretary was Clinton’s second energy secretary, Federico Peña. Spencer Abraham became the first Arab American to hold the position on January 20, 2001, under President George W. Bush. Steven Chu, appointed on January 20, 2009, under President Barack Obama, became the first Asian American to hold the position. Chu also served as the longest-serving secretary of energy and was the first individual to join the Cabinet after having received a Nobel Prize.[5] Former Michigan governor, Jennifer Granholm, confirmed on February 25, 2021 under President Joe Biden, was the second woman to lead the Department of Energy.[6] Chris Wright is the current secretary of energy under the Trump administration, confirmed on February, 4, 2025.[7]
Nuclear weapons
In addition to responsibilities related to generation and use of energy, the secretary is the most senior official other than the president of the United States or secretary of defense with primary responsibility for the nation's approximately 3,800 viable nuclear weapons. This arrangement is intended to maintain full civilian control over strategic weapons, except as directed by the president for specific military uses.[8] The department of energy is responsible for the building, maintenance, and disposal of all nuclear weapons within the United States' arsenal in addition to safeguarding these weapons when they are not actively deployed in military service.[9] Under the terms of several successive treaties, most recently New START, the United States has reduced its strategic arsenal to 1,500 deployed weapons. Consequently, many older legacy weapons systems have been dismantled or scheduled for dismantlement, with their core radioactive fuel - generally plutonium - being reprocessed into reactor-grade or space exploration fuel.[10]
List of secretaries of energy
- Parties
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- Status
| No. | Portrait | Name | State of residence | Took office | Left office | Party | President(s) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| style="background: Template:Party color;" |<templatestyles src="Template:Color/styles.css" />1 | File:James Schlesinger official DoD photo BW (cropped).jpg | Script error: No such module "Sort". | Virginia | Script error: No such module "Date table sorting". | Script error: No such module "Date table sorting". | Republican | rowspan=2 style="background: Template:Party color;" | | Script error: No such module "Sort". (1977–1981) |
| style="background: Template:Party color;" |<templatestyles src="Template:Color/styles.css" />2 | File:Secretary duncan.jpg | Script error: No such module "Sort". | Texas | Script error: No such module "Date table sorting". | Script error: No such module "Date table sorting". | Democratic | ||
| style="background: Template:Party color;" |<templatestyles src="Template:Color/styles.css" />3 | File:U.S. Secretary of Energy James Edwards of South Carolina.jpg | Script error: No such module "Sort". | South Carolina | Script error: No such module "Date table sorting". | Script error: No such module "Date table sorting". | Republican | rowspan=3 style="background: Template:Party color;" | | Script error: No such module "Sort". (1981–1989) |
| style="background: Template:Party color;" |<templatestyles src="Template:Color/styles.css" />4 | File:Donald hodel.JPG | Script error: No such module "Sort". | Oregon | Script error: No such module "Date table sorting". | Script error: No such module "Date table sorting". | Republican | ||
| style="background: Template:Party color;" |<templatestyles src="Template:Color/styles.css" />5 | File:John S. Herrington, Assistant Secretary of the Navy, Manpower and Reserve Affairs.jpg | Script error: No such module "Sort". | California | Script error: No such module "Date table sorting". | Script error: No such module "Date table sorting". | Republican | ||
| style="background: Template:Party color;" |<templatestyles src="Template:Color/styles.css" />6 | File:AdmiralWatkinsSmall.jpg | Script error: No such module "Sort". | California | Script error: No such module "Date table sorting". | Script error: No such module "Date table sorting". | Republican | style="background: Template:Party color;" | | Script error: No such module "Sort". (1989–1993) |
| style="background: Template:Party color;" |<templatestyles src="Template:Color/styles.css" />7 | File:Hazel O'Leary 2.jpg | Script error: No such module "Sort". | Virginia | Script error: No such module "Date table sorting". | Script error: No such module "Date table sorting". | Democratic | rowspan=4 style="background: Template:Party color;" | | Script error: No such module "Sort". (1993–2001) |
| style="background: Template:Party color;" |<templatestyles src="Template:Color/styles.css" />– | File:Charles B Curtis DOE web.jpg | Script error: No such module "Sort". | Pennsylvania | Script error: No such module "Date table sorting". | Script error: No such module "Date table sorting". | Democratic | ||
| style="background: Template:Party color;" |<templatestyles src="Template:Color/styles.css" />8 | File:Federico pena.jpg | Script error: No such module "Sort". | Colorado | Script error: No such module "Date table sorting". | Script error: No such module "Date table sorting". | Democratic | ||
| style="background: Template:Party color;" |<templatestyles src="Template:Color/styles.css" />9 | File:Bill Richardson, official DOE photo.png | Script error: No such module "Sort". | New Mexico | Script error: No such module "Date table sorting". | Script error: No such module "Date table sorting". | Democratic | ||
| style="background: Template:Party color;" |<templatestyles src="Template:Color/styles.css" />10 | File:Spencer Abraham.jpg | Script error: No such module "Sort". | Michigan | Script error: No such module "Date table sorting". | Script error: No such module "Date table sorting". | Republican | rowspan=2 style="background: Template:Party color;" | | Script error: No such module "Sort". (2001–2009) |
| style="background: Template:Party color;" |<templatestyles src="Template:Color/styles.css" />11 | File:Samuel Bodman.jpg | Script error: No such module "Sort". | Illinois | Script error: No such module "Date table sorting". | Script error: No such module "Date table sorting". | Republican | ||
| style="background: Template:Party color;" |<templatestyles src="Template:Color/styles.css" />12 | File:Steven Chu official DOE portrait crop.jpg | Script error: No such module "Sort". | California | Script error: No such module "Date table sorting". | Script error: No such module "Date table sorting". | Democratic | rowspan=3 style="background: Template:Party color;" | | Script error: No such module "Sort". (2009–2017) |
| style="background: Template:Party color;" |<templatestyles src="Template:Color/styles.css" />– | File:Daniel Poneman official portrait.jpg | Script error: No such module "Sort". | Ohio | Script error: No such module "Date table sorting". | Script error: No such module "Date table sorting". | Democratic | ||
| style="background: Template:Party color;" |<templatestyles src="Template:Color/styles.css" />13 | File:Ernest Moniz official portrait.jpg | Script error: No such module "Sort". | Massachusetts | Script error: No such module "Date table sorting". | Script error: No such module "Date table sorting". | Democratic | ||
| <templatestyles src="Template:Color/styles.css" />– | File:Grace Bochenek (4x3 crop).jpg | Script error: No such module "Sort". | Script error: No such module "Date table sorting". | Script error: No such module "Date table sorting". | rowspan=4 style="background: Template:Party color;" | | Script error: No such module "Sort". (2017–2021) | ||
| style="background: Template:Party color;" |<templatestyles src="Template:Color/styles.css" />14 | File:Rick Perry official portrait.jpg | Script error: No such module "Sort". | Texas | Script error: No such module "Date table sorting". | Script error: No such module "Date table sorting". | Republican | ||
| rowspan=2 style="background: Template:Party color;" |<templatestyles src="Template:Color/styles.css" />15 | File:Dan Brouillette official photo (cropped).jpg | Script error: No such module "Sort". | Texas | Script error: No such module "Date table sorting". | Script error: No such module "Date table sorting". | Republican | ||
| Script error: No such module "Date table sorting". | Script error: No such module "Date table sorting". | |||||||
| style="background: Template:Party color;" |<templatestyles src="Template:Color/styles.css" />– | File:David G. Huizenga official portrait.jpg | Script error: No such module "Sort". | Script error: No such module "Date table sorting". | Script error: No such module "Date table sorting". | Democratic | rowspan=2 style="background: Template:Party color;" | | Script error: No such module "Sort". (2021–2025) | |
| style="background: Template:Party color;" |<templatestyles src="Template:Color/styles.css" />16 | Secretary Jennifer Granholm | Script error: No such module "Sort". | Michigan | Script error: No such module "Date table sorting". | Script error: No such module "Date table sorting". | Democratic | ||
| style="background: Template:Party color;" |<templatestyles src="Template:Color/styles.css" />– | File:Ingrid Kolb.jpg | Script error: No such module "Sort". | Script error: No such module "Date table sorting". | Script error: No such module "Date table sorting". | Republican | rowspan=2 style="background: Template:Party color;" | | Script error: No such module "Sort". (2025–present) | |
| style="background: Template:Party color;" |<templatestyles src="Template:Color/styles.css" />17 | File:Secretary Chris Wright Official Portrait.png | Script error: No such module "Sort". | Colorado | Script error: No such module "Date table sorting". | present | Republican | ||
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See also
References
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External links
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