United States Secretary of Energy

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,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> 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.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> 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.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Hazel O'Leary, Bill Clinton’s first secretary of energy, was the first female and first African American to hold the position.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> 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.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Former Michigan governor, Jennifer Granholm, confirmed on February 25, 2021 under President Joe Biden, was the second woman to lead the Department of Energy.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Chris Wright is the current secretary of energy under the Trump administration, confirmed on February, 4, 2025.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

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.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> 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.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> 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.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

List of secretaries of energy

Parties

Template:Legend inline (7) Template:Legend inline (11)

Status

No.	Portrait	Name	State of residence	Took office	Left office	Party	President(s)
style="background: Template:Party color;" |Template:Ifsubst style="color:white">1	File:James Schlesinger official DoD photo BW (cropped).jpg	Template:Sortname	Virginia	Template:Date table sorting	Template:Date table sorting	Republican	rowspan=2 style="background: Template:Party color;" |	Template:Sortname (1977–1981)
style="background: Template:Party color;" |Template:Ifsubst style="color:white">2	File:Secretary duncan.jpg	Template:Sortname	Texas	Template:Date table sorting	Template:Date table sorting	Democratic
style="background: Template:Party color;" |Template:Ifsubst style="color:white">3	File:U.S. Secretary of Energy James Edwards of South Carolina.jpg	Template:Sortname	South Carolina	Template:Date table sorting	Template:Date table sorting	Republican	rowspan=3 style="background: Template:Party color;" |	Template:Sortname (1981–1989)
style="background: Template:Party color;" |Template:Ifsubst style="color:white">4	File:Donald hodel.JPG	Template:Sortname	Oregon	Template:Date table sorting	Template:Date table sorting	Republican
style="background: Template:Party color;" |Template:Ifsubst style="color:white">5	File:John S. Herrington, Assistant Secretary of the Navy, Manpower and Reserve Affairs.jpg	Template:Sortname	California	Template:Date table sorting	Template:Date table sorting	Republican
style="background: Template:Party color;" |Template:Ifsubst style="color:white">6	File:AdmiralWatkinsSmall.jpg	Template:Sortname	California	Template:Date table sorting	Template:Date table sorting	Republican	style="background: Template:Party color;" |	Template:Sortname (1989–1993)
style="background: Template:Party color;" |Template:Ifsubst style="color:white">7	File:Hazel O'Leary 2.jpg	Template:Sortname	Virginia	Template:Date table sorting	Template:Date table sorting	Democratic	rowspan=4 style="background: Template:Party color;" |	Template:Sortname (1993–2001)
style="background: Template:Party color;" |Template:Ifsubst style="color:white">–	File:Charles B Curtis DOE web.jpg	Template:Sortname	Pennsylvania	Template:Date table sorting	Template:Date table sorting	Democratic
style="background: Template:Party color;" |Template:Ifsubst style="color:white">8	File:Federico pena.jpg	Template:Sortname	Colorado	Template:Date table sorting	Template:Date table sorting	Democratic
style="background: Template:Party color;" |Template:Ifsubst style="color:white">9	File:Bill Richardson, official DOE photo.png	Template:Sortname	New Mexico	Template:Date table sorting	Template:Date table sorting	Democratic
style="background: Template:Party color;" |Template:Ifsubst style="color:white">10	File:Spencer Abraham.jpg	Template:Sortname	Michigan	Template:Date table sorting	Template:Date table sorting	Republican	rowspan=2 style="background: Template:Party color;" |	Template:Sortname (2001–2009)
style="background: Template:Party color;" |Template:Ifsubst style="color:white">11	File:Samuel Bodman.jpg	Template:Sortname	Illinois	Template:Date table sorting	Template:Date table sorting	Republican
style="background: Template:Party color;" |Template:Ifsubst style="color:white">12	File:Steven Chu official DOE portrait crop.jpg	Template:Sortname	California	Template:Date table sorting	Template:Date table sorting	Democratic	rowspan=3 style="background: Template:Party color;" |	Template:Sortname (2009–2017)
style="background: Template:Party color;" |Template:Ifsubst style="color:white">–	File:Daniel Poneman official portrait.jpg	Template:Sortname	Ohio	Template:Date table sorting	Template:Date table sorting	Democratic
style="background: Template:Party color;" |Template:Ifsubst style="color:white">13	File:Ernest Moniz official portrait.jpg	Template:Sortname	Massachusetts	Template:Date table sorting	Template:Date table sorting	Democratic
Template:Ifsubst style="color:black">–	File:Grace Bochenek (4x3 crop).jpg	Template:Sortname		Template:Date table sorting	Template:Date table sorting		rowspan=4 style="background: Template:Party color;" |	Template:Sortname (2017–2021)
style="background: Template:Party color;" |Template:Ifsubst style="color:white">14	File:Rick Perry official portrait.jpg	Template:Sortname	Texas	Template:Date table sorting	Template:Date table sorting	Republican
rowspan=2 style="background: Template:Party color;" |Template:Ifsubst style="color:white">15	File:Dan Brouillette official photo (cropped).jpg	Template:Sortname	Texas	Template:Date table sorting	Template:Date table sorting	Republican
Template:Date table sorting				Template:Date table sorting
style="background: Template:Party color;" |Template:Ifsubst style="color:white">–	File:David G. Huizenga official portrait.jpg	Template:Sortname		Template:Date table sorting	Template:Date table sorting	Democratic	rowspan=2 style="background: Template:Party color;" |	Template:Sortname (2021–2025)
style="background: Template:Party color;" |Template:Ifsubst style="color:white">16	Secretary Jennifer Granholm	Template:Sortname	Michigan	Template:Date table sorting	Template:Date table sorting	Democratic
style="background: Template:Party color;" |Template:Ifsubst style="color:white">–	File:Ingrid Kolb.jpg	Template:Sortname		Template:Date table sorting	Template:Date table sorting	Republican	rowspan=2 style="background: Template:Party color;" |	Template:Sortname (2025–present)
style="background: Template:Party color;" |Template:Ifsubst style="color:white">17	File:Secretary Chris Wright Official Portrait.png	Template:Sortname	Colorado	Template:Date table sorting	present	Republican

See also

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

External links

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