Sixth Grade
Worksheets
Secretary of Energy
The Secretary of Energy is the head of the United States Department of Energy. The first Secretary of Energy was named in 1977, but the department's history goes back to World War II. At this time, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers began the Manhattan Project. This special project involved creating the atomic bomb. Later, during the Cold War, it focused on designing and making nuclear weapons. It also developed nuclear reactors for naval propulsion. The Atomic Energy Act of 1954 changed the way the atom was used. It could now be used to make power for the public. This began the growth of the commercial nuclear power industry. In the mid-1970s, the group was abolished. Two new agencies were created. However, a long energy crisis showed the need for a new solution.
In 1977, President Carter signed an act to create the Department of Energy. It is a department in the executive branch. .....
