Department of Energy
DOE
Advances national, economic, and energy security through energy policies, scientific innovation, and the stewardship of nuclear weapons and materials.
$46.3B
FY 2026 Budget
109K
Total Employees
17
National Labs
83
Field Locations
Current Leadership
Key officials leading DOE under the Trump administration
CW
Chris Wright
Secretary of Energy
17th Secretary of Energy, confirmed February 2025. MIT-educated engineer, founder of Liberty Energy, and advocate for American energy dominance. Previously served as CEO of Pinnacle Technologies, helping launch commercial shale gas production.
Confirmed 2/3/25
Nuclear Energy
Develops advanced nuclear technologies including small modular reactors, maintains nuclear stockpile, and ensures naval nuclear propulsion systems for submarines and aircraft carriers.
$1.37B
FY26 Budget
3.2M
Personnel
Office of Science
Nation's largest federal supporter of basic research in physical sciences, operating 27 scientific user facilities serving over 39,000 researchers annually.
$7.1B
FY26 Budget
22K
Researchers
Fossil Energy
Advances technologies for secure use of domestic coal, oil, gas, and critical minerals. Focuses on American energy dominance and supply chain security.
$595M
FY26 Budget
40%
US Electricity
Renewable Energy
Research and development for geothermal, hydropower, biofuels, and industrial efficiency technologies to support affordable, reliable energy systems.
$888M
FY26 Budget
NREL
Lead Lab
NNSA
National Nuclear Security Administration manages nuclear weapons stockpile, nonproliferation efforts, and naval reactors through the nuclear security enterprise.
$30B
FY26 Budget
65.5K
Employees
Environmental Management
World's largest environmental cleanup program, addressing legacy contamination from nuclear weapons production and Cold War activities.
$8.1B
FY26 Budget
15
Active Sites
Major Program Offices
Advanced Scientific Computing Research
Advances computational science, AI, quantum computing, and high-performance computing. Operates multiple supercomputing facilities and develops next-generation computing paradigms.
$1.02B
FY26 Budget
AI/ML
Focus Area
Basic Energy Sciences
Fundamental research in condensed matter physics, chemistry, materials science, and geosciences. Operates major X-ray and neutron facilities.
$2.24B
FY26 Budget
7
User Facilities
Fusion Energy Sciences
Research to develop commercial fusion reactors capable of sustained net energy gain. Partners with private sector through various collaboration programs.
$745M
FY26 Budget
ITER
Major Project
Grid Modernization
Develops technologies to strengthen, transform, and secure the electricity grid. Focuses on reliability, resilience, and cybersecurity of energy infrastructure.
$193M
FY26 Budget
$150M
Cybersecurity
ARPA-E
Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy develops revolutionary energy technologies. Focuses on high-risk, high-reward research with potential for transformational impact.
$200M
FY26 Budget
57%
Budget Cut
Water Power Technologies
Advances hydropower and marine energy technologies. Maintains critical hydropower infrastructure and develops next-generation water power systems.
$90M
FY26 Budget
6%
US Electricity
FY 2026 Budget Request
$46.3B
Discretionary Budget Authority (7% decrease from FY 2025)
$30.0B
NNSA (including reconciliation)
$8.1B
Environmental Management
$7.1B
Office of Science
$1.37B
Nuclear Energy
$888M
Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy
$595M
Fossil Energy
Budget Priorities & Changes
Increased Investments
NNSA weapons activities see historic 29% increase to $24.9B. Naval Reactors up 21% to $2.3B. Focus on nuclear stockpile modernization and naval propulsion systems.
Strategic Reductions
EERE cut 74% to focus on geothermal, hydropower, and biofuels. ARPA-E reduced 57% with emphasis on "technically motivated" projects. Science reduced 14%.
Energy Dominance Focus
$750M in loan credit subsidy for nuclear technologies. Fossil Energy restoration for coal, oil, gas, and critical minerals. SPR refill prioritized.
DOE National Laboratory System
The DOE operates 17 world-class national laboratories that conduct cutting-edge research and development across energy, science, and national security missions. These facilities employ over 95,000 scientists, engineers, and support staff.
Los Alamos National Laboratory
Los Alamos, New Mexico
Nuclear weapons design, materials science, and national security research. Key role in stockpile stewardship and plutonium pit production.
Oak Ridge National Laboratory
Oak Ridge, Tennessee
Neutron science, supercomputing, materials research, and nuclear technology. Home to the world's most powerful supercomputers.
National Renewable Energy Laboratory
Golden, Colorado
Leading renewable energy and energy efficiency research. Focuses on solar, wind, geothermal, and bioenergy technologies.
Idaho National Laboratory
Idaho Falls, Idaho
Nuclear reactor testing, advanced reactor development, and nuclear fuel research. Home to the Advanced Test Reactor.
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
Berkeley, California
Fundamental science research, advanced materials, and computing. Known for breakthrough discoveries in physics and chemistry.
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
Livermore, California
Nuclear weapons research, laser technology, and national security. Home to the National Ignition Facility for fusion research.
Sandia National Laboratories
Albuquerque, NM & Livermore, CA
Nuclear weapons engineering, cybersecurity, and national security technology. Focus on systems integration and engineering.
Argonne National Laboratory
Argonne, Illinois
Advanced nuclear technology, materials science, and energy storage research. Leading work on battery technology and nuclear reactors.
National Energy Technology Laboratory
Pittsburgh, PA & Morgantown, WV
Fossil energy research, carbon capture, and critical minerals. Only government-owned, government-operated DOE laboratory.
Current Key Initiatives
American Energy Dominance
Secretary Wright's flagship initiative to unleash America's energy potential through all domestic resources - fossil fuels, nuclear, geothermal, and hydropower. Emphasis on affordability, reliability, and security.
Nuclear Stockpile Modernization
Historic $30B investment in nuclear security enterprise. Modernizing warheads, increasing plutonium pit production to 80 per year, and enhancing nuclear facilities.
AI & Advanced Computing
Leveraging DOE's supercomputing capabilities for AI development. Training 500 new AI researchers by 2025, developing AI applications for science and grid management.
Quantum Information Science
Advancing quantum computing, sensing, and communications through National QIS Research Centers and partnerships with industry and academia.
Fusion Energy Development
Accelerating commercial fusion through public-private partnerships, milestone programs, and international collaboration on ITER project.
Strategic Petroleum Reserve
Refilling SPR from historically low levels, infrastructure modernization, and ensuring energy security for national emergencies.
Enhanced Geothermal Systems
Expanding geothermal energy through enhanced geothermal technology demonstrations and research into unconventional geothermal resources.
Critical Minerals Initiative
Developing domestic supply chains for critical minerals through advanced extraction technologies, including recovery from coal waste and unconventional sources.
Grid Modernization
Strengthening electricity infrastructure through advanced grid technologies, cybersecurity improvements, and transmission capacity expansion.