![]() Seal of the U.S. Department of Energy | |
![]() Flag of the U.S. Department of Energy | |
![]() James V. Forrestal Building, headquarter building named after James Forrestal | |
Agency overview | |
---|---|
Formed | August 4, 1977 |
Preceding agencies | |
Jurisdiction | U.S. federal government |
Headquarters | James V. Forrestal Building 1000 Independence Avenue Southwest, Washington, D.C., U.S. 38°53′13″N 77°1′34″W / 38.88694°N 77.02611°W |
Employees | 14,382 federal civilian (2018)[1] 93,094 contract (2008) |
Annual budget | $31.7 billion (2020)[2] |
Agency executives | |
Website | energy.gov |
The United States Department of Energy (DOE) is an executive department of the 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 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 National Laboratories.[3][4] The DOE also directs research in genomics, with the Human Genome Project originating from a DOE initiative.[5]
The department is headed by the secretary of energy, who reports directly to the president of the United States and is a member of the Cabinet. The current secretary of energy is Jennifer Granholm, who has served in the position since February 2021.[6] The department's headquarters are in southwestern Washington, D.C., in the James V. Forrestal Building, with additional offices in Germantown, Maryland.