Are we spending enough federal money on energy?

Aug. 4, 1977: All U.S. Energy Placed Under Single Roof

Congress passed the act, and Carter signed it Aug. 4. The Department of Energy began operating Oct. 1, 1977.

The energy secretary, currently Samuel Bodman III, oversees a department with a $25 billion budget and more than 16,000 employees. Among the many units DOE funds and operates are more than 30 national laboratories. And it's the Energy Department, not the Pentagon, which oversees the development, testing, integrity and safety of the nation's nuclear arsenal.