Forty years ago, with the stroke of a pen, President Jimmy Carter signed the legislation that created the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), an agency that touches each and every American’s life. This happened in the midst of the energy crisis in the 1970s, when oil prices jumped 350% due to an OPEC oil embargo. The results rippled through the economy and set the stage for the Energy Department’s mission to ensure America’s security and prosperity by working toward energy independence and addressing energy challenges.
Today, the agency must build on its past successes and continue to seize the opportunity to create an advanced energy economy.
