Department Of Energy, U.S.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), administered by the U.S. secretary of energy, is responsible [Page 214]for energy policy and nuclear safety. Its responsibilities include the nation's nuclear weapons program, nuclear reactor production for the U.S. Navy, energy conservation, energy-related research, radioactive waste disposal, and domestic energy production. DOE initiatives focus on energy security, nuclear security, scientific discovery, and environmental responsibility. Many federal agencies that handled energy policy between World War II and the energy crisis of the 1970s were placed under the auspices of DOE in 1977. With energy-related issues involving everything from nuclear power to energy production alternatives and from global warming to vehicle fuel efficiency gaining attention in the news, journalists and other science communicators will need to understand DOE's current role.

The Advanced Energy Initiative of 2006 mandated a 22% increase in funding for clean energy technology research at DOE, including greater investment in zero-emission coal-fired plants, solar and wind technologies, and nuclear energy, as well as more funding for ethanol production research and development of mass market electric and hydrogen fueled cars. The initiative seeks to develop technologies that would allow a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle to have a 40-mile range operating solely on battery charge, make cellulosic ethanol cost competitive with corn-based ethanol by 2012, and mass produce hydrogen fuel cell vehicles by 2020. It commits new funding for clean coal research; addresses spent nuclear fuel and proliferation risks; promotes the development of clean, reliable, and affordable nuclear energy; seeks to make solar photovoltaic technologies cost competitive by 2015; and expands access to wind energy.

The Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 mandates a 20% reduction in U.S. gasoline usage by 2017. The act requires production of 35 billion gallons of renewable fuels by 2017 to displace 15% of the projected annual gasoline use and reforms the Corporate Average Fuel Economy standards for cars.