# 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, 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. 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. Hazel O'Leary, Bill Clinton’s first secretary of energy, was the first female and first African American to hold the position. 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. Former Michigan governor, Jennifer Granholm, confirmed on February 25, 2021 under President Joe Biden, was the second woman to lead the Department of Energy. Chris Wright is the current secretary of energy under the Trump administration, confirmed on February, 4, 2025.

## 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 ~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. 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. 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.

## List of secretaries of energy
### Parties

Democratic (7) Republican (10)

### Status

Acting Secretary of Energy
| No. | Name | State of residence | Took office | Left office | Party | President(s) |
| 1 | James Schlesinger | Virginia | August 6, 1977 | August 23, 1979 | Republican | Jimmy Carter (1977–1981) |
| 2 | Charles Duncan | Texas | August 24, 1979 | January 20, 1981 | Democratic | Jimmy Carter (1977–1981) |
| 3 | James Edwards | South Carolina | January 23, 1981 | November 5, 1982 | Republican | Ronald Reagan (1981–1989) |
| 4 | Donald Hodel | Oregon | November 5, 1982 | February 7, 1985 | Republican | Ronald Reagan (1981–1989) |
| 5 | John Herrington | California | February 7, 1985 | January 20, 1989 | Republican | Ronald Reagan (1981–1989) |
| 6 | James Watkins | California | March 1, 1989 | January 20, 1993 | Republican | George H. W. Bush (1989–1993) |
| 7 | Hazel O'Leary | Virginia | January 22, 1993 | January 20, 1997 | Democratic | Bill Clinton (1993–2001) |
| – | Charles B. Curtis | Pennsylvania | January 20, 1997 | March 12, 1997 | Democratic | Bill Clinton (1993–2001) |
| 8 | Federico Peña | Colorado | March 12, 1997 | June 30, 1998 | Democratic | Bill Clinton (1993–2001) |
| 9 | Bill Richardson | New Mexico | August 18, 1998 | January 20, 2001 | Democratic | Bill Clinton (1993–2001) |
| 10 | Spencer Abraham | Michigan | January 20, 2001 | February 1, 2005 | Republican | George W. Bush (2001–2009) |
| 11 | Samuel Bodman | Illinois | February 1, 2005 | January 20, 2009 | Republican | George W. Bush (2001–2009) |
| 12 | Steven Chu | California | January 20, 2009 | April 22, 2013 | Democratic | Barack Obama (2009–2017) |
| – | Daniel Poneman | Ohio | April 22, 2013 | May 21, 2013 | Democratic | Barack Obama (2009–2017) |
| 13 | Ernest Moniz | Massachusetts | May 21, 2013 | January 20, 2017 | Democratic | Barack Obama (2009–2017) |
| – | Grace Bochenek | | January 20, 2017 | March 2, 2017 | | Donald Trump (2017–2021) |
| 14 | Rick Perry | Texas | March 2, 2017 | December 1, 2019 | Republican | Donald Trump (2017–2021) |
| 15 | Dan Brouillette | Texas | December 1, 2019 | December 4, 2019 | Republican | Donald Trump (2017–2021) |
| 15 | Dan Brouillette | Texas | December 4, 2019 | January 20, 2021 | Republican | Donald Trump (2017–2021) |
| – | David Huizenga | | January 20, 2021 | February 25, 2021 | Democratic | Joe Biden (2021–2025) |
| 16 | Jennifer Granholm | Michigan | February 25, 2021 | January 20, 2025 | Democratic | Joe Biden (2021–2025) |
| – | Ingrid Kolb | | January 20, 2025 | February 4, 2025 | Republican | Donald Trump (2025–present) |
| 17 | Chris Wright | Colorado | February 4, 2025 | present | Republican | Donald Trump (2025–present) |