The Responsibilities and Authority of the Secretary of Energy
Dennis AuBuchon
October 31, 2009
The Secretary of the Department of Energy and the function of the department is increasingly becoming more important today in the world of high levels of oil imports. The overall mission of the department is to advance technology, in partnership with industry, government, and the public, to meet America´s needs for a reliable, efficient and resilient electric power grid.
This mission statement has great objectives but it is how this department is tasked to meet the objectives as identified in current and future laws enacted by Congress that is the question. To accomplish the mission there are five strategic themes in the department which are identified below:
Energy security - Promoting America´s energy security through reliable, clean, and affordable energy.
Nuclear Security – Ensuring America´s Nuclear security.
Scientific Discovery and Innovation - Strengthening U.S. scientific discovery, economic competitiveness, and improving quality of life through innovations in science and technology
Environmental Responsibility - Protecting the environment by providing a responsible resolution to the environmental legacy of nuclear weapons production.
Management Excellence – Enabling the mission through sound management.
The above strategic themes are great especially the last of concerning management excellence. This theme is something that all departments of the government should strive to achieve. To achieve this and other themes it is necessary for this department to work with other federal agencies and departments. One such example is the Environmental Protection Agency to assure that actions taken will not affect the environment in a negative manner. In the following manner the efforts to achieve the various themes identified above will be discussed.
To achieve energy security the aim of this department is to focus on stimulating private investment in energy supply and advanced technologies through diversifying energy markets, reducing emissions, and increasing reliability and productivity. As part of this theme there are strategic goals that have been put in place to address energy security for this country. Below are the goals associated with this theme.
Energy diversity - Increase our energy options and reduce dependence on oil, thereby reducing vulnerability to disruption and increasing the flexibility of the market to meet U.S. needs. The strategies to reach this goal is listed below:
Reduce dependence on energy imports, particularly oil in the transportation sector, by developing and effectively deploying technologies to increase fuel efficiency and enable the substitution of alternatives such as biofuels, electricity, and hydrogen
Collaborate globally with governments and scientists to expedite the development and deployment of unconventional energy resources, such as biofuels, that can substitute for oil and natural gas.
Collaborate globally with governments and scientists to expedite the development and deployment of nuclear power which can substitute for oil and natural gas.
Ensure adequate crude and regional home heating oil supplies during emergency shortages by maintaining the operational readiness of the Strategic Petroleum Reserve and Northeast Home Heating Oil Reserve.
Ensure expanding supply of domestic energy for the American public by promoting the construction of an Alaska Natural Gas Pipeline and the environmentally responsible development of the Outer Continental Shelf and the Artic National Wildlife Refuge.
Environmental Impacts of Energy - Improve the quality of the environment by reducing greenhouse gas emissions and environmental impacts to land, water, and air from energy production and use. The strategies for achieving this theme are listed below:
Support the creation of new nuclear generation capacity to produce carbon-free electricity in the near term (2015); complete a permanent repository for nuclear waste at Yucca Mountain by 2017; and, develop next generation advanced reactor and fuel cycle technologies for deployment in the long term (2025) for both electricity and hydrogen production.
Advance clean coal technology through public-private partnerships for continued electrictity generation from the country´s extensive coals resources, ultimately resulting in near-zero atmospheric emissions power plants.
Support research and development efforts to reduce the costs of renewable energy technologies and accelerate the large-scale use of carbon-free electricity sources.
Develop technologies to reduce vehicle emissions by improving efficiency and greatly expanding the use of clean fuels, while maintaining vehicle safety, performance, and cost characteristics.
Work collaboratively with other Federal agencies, private industry, and other countries to accelerate the adoption of technologies of substantially reducing global emissions of greenhouse gases and other emissions.
Energy Infrastructure - Create a more flexible, more reliable, and higher capacity U.S. energy infrastructure. The strategies to reach this goal are listed below:
Develop advanced wires and coils to increase the capacity, efficiency, and reliability of the electricity system.
Advance real-time visualization and control tools to improve the reliability and efficiency of the Nation´s electricity delivery system by increasing the utilization of transmission and distribution assets.
Integrate advance technologies, including distributed generation, storage, and load management on distribution utility feeders to improve the efficiency and reliability of constrained sections of the electricity grid.
Provide technical assistance to State and regional officials on policies and emergency response options.
Energy Productivity - Cost-effectively improve the energy efficiency of the U.S. economy.
The goals or strategies to achieve this theme are listed below:
Support enhancements to existing energy markets that will help stimulate private investment in more efficient and economically productive end-use technologies.
Develop integrated building technologies and formulate appliance standards to significantly increase the energy efficiency of residential and commercial buildings.
Partner with energy-intensive industries to develop technologies that enable more efficient use of energy in their industrial processes.
Develop technologies that enable cars and truck to be fuel efficient, while remaining cost and performance competitive.
Promote increased energy efficiency and sustainable practices in Federal facilities.
As can be seen in the information provided there are defined goals to be achieved through this department for addressing our energy needs now and in the future. The key to these goals is to develop a national energy policy to implement these goals along with the necessary funding to achieve them. Anything the government does costs money and to achieve these goals and strategies which are admirable to say the least there must be funding allocated to accomplish them. As with all government departments there are organizational structures which aid in accomplishing the mission of the department or agency. A listing of the main staff and support offices are provided below as a means to understand how this department operates.
Chief Financial Officer
Chief Human Capital Officer
Chief Information Officer
Office of Congressional and Intergovernmental Affairs
Office of Economic Impact and Diversity
Office of General Counsel
Office of Health, Safety and Security
Office of Hearings and Appeals
Office of Inspector General
Office of Intelligence and Counterintelligence
Office of Management
Office of Policy and International Affairs
Office of Public Affairs.
For more detailed information about the list above you can access the link at: http://www.energy.gov/organization/staffoffices.htm. This page has links to each of the web sites maintained for each of the offices and more details on the mission of each.
Our use of the energy resources in this country and the world must change. Development of alternative sources of energy must be accomplished both to increase our national security from being dependent upon foreign sources of energy such as oil and to keep the cost down to an affordable level for all of us. The task of the energy department like other departments in the President´s cabinet affects every American. Our energy needs goes across party lines and there needs to be bi-partisan activity to address our energy needs now and in the future. A comprehensive energy policy to implement the objectives of this department is critical to economic security of our country. Creating such a policy will not be easy but it must be done. We as individuals to some extent can do our part to reduce our dependency on foreign sources of energy but actions must be taken at the federal level to create a national energy policy and the methods to accomplish it. I commend the themes and goals of this department that are currently in place and Congress must work with this department irrespective of the political affiliation to address our energy needs.
This mission statement has great objectives but it is how this department is tasked to meet the objectives as identified in current and future laws enacted by Congress that is the question. To accomplish the mission there are five strategic themes in the department which are identified below:
Energy security - Promoting America´s energy security through reliable, clean, and affordable energy.
Nuclear Security – Ensuring America´s Nuclear security.
Scientific Discovery and Innovation - Strengthening U.S. scientific discovery, economic competitiveness, and improving quality of life through innovations in science and technology
Environmental Responsibility - Protecting the environment by providing a responsible resolution to the environmental legacy of nuclear weapons production.
Management Excellence – Enabling the mission through sound management.
The above strategic themes are great especially the last of concerning management excellence. This theme is something that all departments of the government should strive to achieve. To achieve this and other themes it is necessary for this department to work with other federal agencies and departments. One such example is the Environmental Protection Agency to assure that actions taken will not affect the environment in a negative manner. In the following manner the efforts to achieve the various themes identified above will be discussed.
To achieve energy security the aim of this department is to focus on stimulating private investment in energy supply and advanced technologies through diversifying energy markets, reducing emissions, and increasing reliability and productivity. As part of this theme there are strategic goals that have been put in place to address energy security for this country. Below are the goals associated with this theme.
Energy diversity - Increase our energy options and reduce dependence on oil, thereby reducing vulnerability to disruption and increasing the flexibility of the market to meet U.S. needs. The strategies to reach this goal is listed below:
Reduce dependence on energy imports, particularly oil in the transportation sector, by developing and effectively deploying technologies to increase fuel efficiency and enable the substitution of alternatives such as biofuels, electricity, and hydrogen
Collaborate globally with governments and scientists to expedite the development and deployment of unconventional energy resources, such as biofuels, that can substitute for oil and natural gas.
Collaborate globally with governments and scientists to expedite the development and deployment of nuclear power which can substitute for oil and natural gas.
Ensure adequate crude and regional home heating oil supplies during emergency shortages by maintaining the operational readiness of the Strategic Petroleum Reserve and Northeast Home Heating Oil Reserve.
Ensure expanding supply of domestic energy for the American public by promoting the construction of an Alaska Natural Gas Pipeline and the environmentally responsible development of the Outer Continental Shelf and the Artic National Wildlife Refuge.
Environmental Impacts of Energy - Improve the quality of the environment by reducing greenhouse gas emissions and environmental impacts to land, water, and air from energy production and use. The strategies for achieving this theme are listed below:
Support the creation of new nuclear generation capacity to produce carbon-free electricity in the near term (2015); complete a permanent repository for nuclear waste at Yucca Mountain by 2017; and, develop next generation advanced reactor and fuel cycle technologies for deployment in the long term (2025) for both electricity and hydrogen production.
Advance clean coal technology through public-private partnerships for continued electrictity generation from the country´s extensive coals resources, ultimately resulting in near-zero atmospheric emissions power plants.
Support research and development efforts to reduce the costs of renewable energy technologies and accelerate the large-scale use of carbon-free electricity sources.
Develop technologies to reduce vehicle emissions by improving efficiency and greatly expanding the use of clean fuels, while maintaining vehicle safety, performance, and cost characteristics.
Work collaboratively with other Federal agencies, private industry, and other countries to accelerate the adoption of technologies of substantially reducing global emissions of greenhouse gases and other emissions.
Energy Infrastructure - Create a more flexible, more reliable, and higher capacity U.S. energy infrastructure. The strategies to reach this goal are listed below:
Develop advanced wires and coils to increase the capacity, efficiency, and reliability of the electricity system.
Advance real-time visualization and control tools to improve the reliability and efficiency of the Nation´s electricity delivery system by increasing the utilization of transmission and distribution assets.
Integrate advance technologies, including distributed generation, storage, and load management on distribution utility feeders to improve the efficiency and reliability of constrained sections of the electricity grid.
Provide technical assistance to State and regional officials on policies and emergency response options.
Energy Productivity - Cost-effectively improve the energy efficiency of the U.S. economy.
The goals or strategies to achieve this theme are listed below:
Support enhancements to existing energy markets that will help stimulate private investment in more efficient and economically productive end-use technologies.
Develop integrated building technologies and formulate appliance standards to significantly increase the energy efficiency of residential and commercial buildings.
Partner with energy-intensive industries to develop technologies that enable more efficient use of energy in their industrial processes.
Develop technologies that enable cars and truck to be fuel efficient, while remaining cost and performance competitive.
Promote increased energy efficiency and sustainable practices in Federal facilities.
As can be seen in the information provided there are defined goals to be achieved through this department for addressing our energy needs now and in the future. The key to these goals is to develop a national energy policy to implement these goals along with the necessary funding to achieve them. Anything the government does costs money and to achieve these goals and strategies which are admirable to say the least there must be funding allocated to accomplish them. As with all government departments there are organizational structures which aid in accomplishing the mission of the department or agency. A listing of the main staff and support offices are provided below as a means to understand how this department operates.
Chief Financial Officer
Chief Human Capital Officer
Chief Information Officer
Office of Congressional and Intergovernmental Affairs
Office of Economic Impact and Diversity
Office of General Counsel
Office of Health, Safety and Security
Office of Hearings and Appeals
Office of Inspector General
Office of Intelligence and Counterintelligence
Office of Management
Office of Policy and International Affairs
Office of Public Affairs.
For more detailed information about the list above you can access the link at: http://www.energy.gov/organization/staffoffices.htm. This page has links to each of the web sites maintained for each of the offices and more details on the mission of each.
Our use of the energy resources in this country and the world must change. Development of alternative sources of energy must be accomplished both to increase our national security from being dependent upon foreign sources of energy such as oil and to keep the cost down to an affordable level for all of us. The task of the energy department like other departments in the President´s cabinet affects every American. Our energy needs goes across party lines and there needs to be bi-partisan activity to address our energy needs now and in the future. A comprehensive energy policy to implement the objectives of this department is critical to economic security of our country. Creating such a policy will not be easy but it must be done. We as individuals to some extent can do our part to reduce our dependency on foreign sources of energy but actions must be taken at the federal level to create a national energy policy and the methods to accomplish it. I commend the themes and goals of this department that are currently in place and Congress must work with this department irrespective of the political affiliation to address our energy needs.
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