Department of Energy: Difference between revisions

The '''United States Department of Energy''' ('''DOE''') is an [[United States federal executive departments|executive department]] of the [[Federal government of the United States|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 of the United States|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 [[United States Department of Energy National Laboratories|National Laboratories]].<ref name="EnergySC">{{cite web | title=Office of Science Funding | website=Energy.gov | url=https://www.energy.gov/science/office-science-funding | access-date=2022-12-01 | archive-date=December 1, 2022 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221201034723/https://www.energy.gov/science/office-science-funding | url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=NSF Science and Engineering Indicators 2012 |url=https://www.nsf.gov/statistics/seind12/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://wayback.archive-it.org/5902/20170706211612/https://www.nsf.gov/statistics/seind12/ |archive-date=July 6, 2017 |website=National Science Foundation}}</ref> The DOE also directs research in [[genomics]], with the [[Human Genome Project]] originating from a DOE initiative.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ornl.gov/sci/techresources/Human_Genome/publicat/jmmbbag.pdf |title=Genomes to Life, Black Bag |date=Spring 2002 |publisher=U.S. Department of Energy |access-date=October 19, 2012 |archive-date=October 16, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121016194238/http://www.ornl.gov/sci/techresources/Human_Genome/publicat/jmmbbag.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref>

The department is headed by the [[United States Secretary of Energy|secretary of energy]], who reports directly to the [[president of the United States]] and is a member of the [[Cabinet of the United States|Cabinet]]. The current secretary of energy is [[Jennifer Granholm]], who has served in the position since February 2021.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2021/01/20/president-joe-biden-announces-acting-federal-agency-leadership/ |title=President Joe Biden-announces acting federal agency leadership |website=whitehouse.gov |date=January 21, 2021 |access-date=January 21, 2021 |archive-date=January 21, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210121042931/https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2021/01/20/president-joe-biden-announces-acting-federal-agency-leadership/ |url-status=live }}</ref> The department's headquarters are in southwestern [[Washington, D.C.]], in the [[James V. Forrestal Building]], with additional offices in [[Germantown, Maryland]].