Department of Energy
| Introduction
The department of energy is an executive department of the U.S. government, created by Congress, in 1977. This department, otherwise known as the DOE, is administered by a secretary who is appointed by the president. Purpose The Department of Energy was created to address the national problem of decreasing supplies of coal, oil, and natural gas and the increasing dependence of the U.S. economy on foreign sources of fuel, particularly petroleum. It is responsible for the utilization of energy resources, the regulation of energy production and use, and promoting more efficient uses of energy (DOE,2003). Research and Development The Department of Energy has a responsibility for energy research. The programs run by the DOE are concerned mainly with scientific and engineering research. They aim to develop better and cleaner methods for extracting and burning fuels, such as coal and oil, and also to develop new sources of energy, such as solar power, and nuclear fusion. Other concepts being explored are the conversion of solid waste into methane gas, the use of fuel cells, wind energy, and hydroelectric energy (DOE,2003). With a greater amount of solar power research being done, residential and commercial buildings are starting to look at energy sources that will use energy more efficiently. |
Secretaries of the Department of Energy of the United States
Spencer Abraham |