What does the do?

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The Department of Energy (DOE) is an executive branch agency responsible for overseeing national energy policy and managing the country’s nuclear infrastructure. Its functions include advancing energy research and innovation, promoting energy efficiency and renewable energy, regulating the production and distribution of electricity and fossil fuels, and ensuring the security of the US nuclear weapons stockpile. It was established in 1977.

In FY 2025,

$52.3B

was spent by the Department of Energy
In FY 2025,

0.7%

of federal spending was by the Department of Energy

How much does the Department of Energy spend?

The Department of Energy spent $52.3 billion in fiscal year (FY) 2025. This was 0.7% of the $7.04 trillion in overall federal spending. The department ranked 11th among federal agencies in total spending.

The Department of Energy accounted for 0.7% of all federal spending in FY 2025.

Share of DOE net spending compared to the top ten highest spending agencies in FY 2025

Federal spending may shift over time due to population growth, changes in policy and programs, and emerging problems to address. Adjusting for inflation, the Department of Energy’s federal spending has increased from $29 billion in 1980 to $52.3 billion in 2025.

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The Department of Energy’s federal spending in FY 2025 was higher than in FY 1980.

Yearly federal net spending by DOE, adjusted for inflation (2025 dollars), FYs 1980–2025

Since 1980, the Department of Energy's spending has increased 80.1%, while overall spending has increased 196.9%.
The department’s spending grew less than overall spending, which means that the department’s share of the federal budget decreased. In 2025, DOE accounted for 0.7% of all federal spending. That’s 0.064 percentage points lower than 2015 and 0.5 points lower than in 1980.
Major legislation, internal or global economic conditions, and acute events like the COVID-19 pandemic can affect spending year to year. For example, the federal budget fluctuated during the pandemic, rising from $5.3 trillion (in 2023 dollars) in 2019 to $7.7 trillion in 2020 and $7.8 trillion in 2021.

The Department of Energy's share of federal spending in FY 2025 was lower than in FY 1980.

Percentage of federal budget dedicated to DOE, FYs 1980–2025

Most federal spending can be categorized as direct or indirect. Direct spending refers to money the federal government spends on budget items such as federal programs, employee salaries, and debt interest. Indirect spending refers to federal transfers to state and local governments.
In FY 2025, the Department of Energy transferred less than 0.05% of its total spending to states and local governments.
The chart below outlines all net DOE spending.

How did the Department of Energy spend its budget in 2025?

Federal government net spending isolated to DOE, FY 2025

How many people work for the Department of Energy?

Some 13,000 of the 2.02 million total civilian federal employees work for the Department of Energy as of May 2026. This is 16.3% fewer people than the department staffed in 2012.

The number of federal employees working for the Department of Energy has decreased 16.3% since 2012.

Number of federal employees working for DOE, May 2012–2026

DOE accounts for 0.7% of the overall federal workforce. As the number of federal employees has changed, so too has the way the workforce is organized, with resources allocated to agencies depending on government priorities. DOE constituted a smaller share of the overall federal workforce in May 2026 than in 2012 (0.8%).
While the number of employees on an agency’s payroll contributes to that agency’s expenditures, some agencies have relatively few employees compared to their budget or vice versa, giving them an outsized share of either the budget or the workforce. According to the most recent data, the Department of Energy’s share of the workforce (0.7%) is smaller than its share of the budget (0.7%).

Who leads the Department of Energy?

The DOE is headed by the secretary of Energy, who is nominated by the president, confirmed by the Senate, and then sworn into office. They are one of the 15 cabinet members who serve at the president’s discretion. This appointed position typically ends when the appointee resigns, is replaced, or when a new president assumes office and appoints their own cabinet, though some may serve temporarily during transitions between administrations.

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Methodology

USAFacts standardizes data, in areas such as time and demographics, to make it easier to understand and compare.

Page sources

USAFacts endeavors to share the most up-to-date information available. We sourced the data on this page directly from government agencies; however, the intervals at which agencies publish updated data vary.