[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.

In 1942, during World War II, the United States started the Manhattan Project to develop the atomic bomb under the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

Among other nuclear projects, the AEC produced fabricated uranium fuel cores at locations such as Fernald Feed Materials Production Center in Cincinnati, Ohio.

[17] With international energy's future uncertain for America, Carter acted quickly to have the department come into action the first year of his presidency.

Wen Ho Lee was accused of stealing nuclear secrets from Los Alamos National Laboratory for the People's Republic of China.

Federal officials, including then-Energy Secretary Bill Richardson, publicly named Lee as a suspect before he was charged with a crime.

[citation needed] In 2001, American Solar Challenge was sponsored by the DOE and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory.

[23] Title XVII of Energy Policy Act of 2005 authorizes the DOE to issue loan guarantees to eligible projects that "avoid, reduce, or sequester air pollutants or anthropogenic emissions of greenhouse gases" and "employ new or significantly improved technologies as compared to technologies in service in the United States at the time the guarantee is issued".

The president also appoints seven officials with the rank of Assistant Secretary of Energy who have line management responsibility for major organizational elements of the department.

"The eagle represents the care in planning and the purposefulness of efforts required to respond to the Nation's increasing demands for energy.

The sun, atom, oil derrick, windmill, and dynamo serve as representative technologies whose enhanced development can help meet these demands.

By invoking this symbolism, the color scheme represents the Nation's commitment to meet its energy needs in a manner consistent with the preservation of the natural environment."

NNSA in turn uses contractors to carry out its responsibilities at the following government owned sites:[37] On May 7, 2009 President Barack Obama unveiled a $26.4 billion budget request for DOE for fiscal year (FY) 2010, including $2.3 billion for the DOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE).

[42] In 2012, the DOE awarded $120 million to the Ames Laboratory to start a new EIH, the Critical Materials Institute, which will focus on improving the supply of rare earth elements.

[47] ARPA-E was officially created by the America COMPETES Act , authored by Congressman Bart Gordon,[48] within the United States Department of Energy (DOE) in 2007, though without a budget.