United States Secretary of Energy

Secretary of Energy of the United States of America
Seal of the Department of Energy
Flag of the Secretary of Energy
Incumbent Rick Perry since March 2, 2017
United States Department of Energy
Style	Mr. Secretary
Member of	Cabinet
Reports to	The President
Seat	Washington, D.C.
Appointer	The President with Senate advice and consent
Term length	No fixed term
Constituting instrument	42 U.S.C. § 7131
Formation	August 6, 1977
First holder	James R. Schlesinger
Succession	Fifteenth
Deputy	Deputy Secretary of Energy
Salary	Executive Schedule, level 1
Website	www.energy.gov

The United States Secretary of Energy is the head of the U.S. Department of Energy, a member of the Cabinet of the United States, and fourteenth in the presidential line of succession. The position was formed on October 1, 1977 with the creation of the Department of Energy when President Jimmy Carter signed the Department of Energy Organization Act. Originally the post focused on energy production and regulation. The emphasis soon shifted to developing technology for better and more efficient energy sources as well as energy education. After the end of the Cold War, the department's attention also turned toward radioactive waste disposal and maintenance of environmental quality. The current Secretary of Energy is Rick Perry

Former Secretary of Defense James Schlesinger was the first Secretary of Energy, who was a Republican nominated to the post by Democratic President Jimmy Carter, the only time a president has appointed someone of another party to the post. Schlesinger is also the only secretary to be dismissed from the post. Hazel O'Leary, Bill Clinton's first Secretary of Energy, was the first female and African-American holder. The first Hispanic to serve as Energy Secretary was Clinton's second, Federico Peña. Spencer Abraham became the first Arab American to hold the position on November 15, 2004, serving under the administration of George W. Bush. Steven Chu became the first Asian American to hold the position on January 20, 2009, serving under the administration of Barack Obama. He is also the longest-serving Secretary of Energy.

List of Secretaries of Energy

Parties

  Democratic (6)   Republican (8)

No.	Portrait	Name	State of residence	Took office	Left office	Party	President(s)
1		Schlesinger, James R.James R. Schlesinger	Virginia	000000001977-08-06-0000August 6, 1977	000000001979-08-23-0000August 23, 1979	Republican		Carter, JimmyJimmy Carter
2		Duncan, Jr., Charles W.Charles W. Duncan, Jr.	Texas	000000001979-08-24-0000August 24, 1979	000000001981-01-20-0000January 20, 1981	Democratic
3		Edwards, James B.James B. Edwards	South Carolina	000000001981-01-23-0000January 23, 1981	000000001982-11-05-0000November 5, 1982	Republican		Reagan, RonaldRonald Reagan
4		Hodel, Donald P.Donald P. Hodel	Oregon	000000001982-11-05-0000November 5, 1982	000000001985-02-07-0000February 7, 1985	Republican
5		Herrington, John S.John S. Herrington	California	000000001985-02-07-0000February 7, 1985	000000001989-01-20-0000January 20, 1989	Republican
6		Watkins, James D.James D. Watkins	California	000000001989-03-01-0000March 1, 1989	000000001993-01-20-0000January 20, 1993	Republican		Bush, George H. W.George H. W. Bush
7		O'Leary, Hazel R.Hazel R. O'Leary	Virginia	000000001993-01-22-0000January 22, 1993	000000001997-01-20-0000January 20, 1997	Democratic		Clinton, BillBill Clinton
8		Peña, Federico F.Federico F. Peña	Colorado	000000001997-03-12-0000March 12, 1997	000000001998-06-30-0000June 30, 1998	Democratic
9		Richardson, William B.William B. Richardson	New Mexico	000000001998-08-18-0000August 18, 1998	000000002001-01-20-0000January 20, 2001	Democratic
10		Abraham, SpencerSpencer Abraham	Michigan	000000002001-01-20-0000January 20, 2001	000000002005-02-01-0000February 1, 2005	Republican		Bush, George W.George W. Bush
11		Bodman, Samuel W.Samuel W. Bodman	Illinois	000000002005-02-01-0000February 1, 2005	000000002009-01-20-0000January 20, 2009	Republican
12		Chu, StevenSteven Chu	California	000000002009-01-20-0000January 20, 2009	000000002013-04-22-0000April 22, 2013	Democratic		Obama, BarackBarack Obama
13		Moniz, ErnestErnest Moniz	Massachusetts	000000002013-05-21-0000May 21, 2013	000000002017-01-20-0000January 20, 2017	Democratic
14		Perry, RickRick Perry	Texas	000000002017-03-02-0000March 2, 2017	Incumbent	Republican

Living former Secretaries of Energy

See also: List of living former members of the United States Cabinet

As of April 2017, there are ten living former Secretaries of Energy, the oldest being Charles Duncan, Jr. (served 1979-1981, born 1926). The most recent Secretary of Energy to die was James B. Edwards (served 1981–1982, born 1927), on December 26, 2014. The most recently serving Secretary to die was James D. Watkins (served 1989-1993, born 1927) on July 26, 2012.

Name	Term	Date of birth (and age)
Charles Duncan, Jr.	1979–1981	(1926-09-09) September 9, 1926
Donald P. Hodel	1982–1985	(1935-05-23) May 23, 1935
John S. Herrington	1985–1989	(1939-05-31) May 31, 1939
Hazel R. O'Leary	1993–1997	(1937-05-17) May 17, 1937
Federico Peña	1997–1998	(1947-03-15) March 15, 1947
Bill Richardson	1998–2001	(1947-11-15) November 15, 1947
Spencer Abraham	2001–2005	(1952-06-12) June 12, 1952
Samuel Bodman	2005–2009	(1938-11-26) November 26, 1938
Steven Chu	2009–2013	(1948-02-28) February 28, 1948
Ernest Moniz	2013–2017	(1944-12-22) December 22, 1944

See also

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

External links

• "Official site of U.S. Department of Energy". U.S. Department of Energy. Retrieved 2007-08-13. 
• "Secretaries of Energy". U.S. Department of Energy. Retrieved 2016-10-17. 

United States presidential line of succession
Preceded by Secretary of Transportation Elaine Chao	15th in line	Succeeded by Secretary of Education Betsy Devos