Department of Energy
The Department of Energy oversees nuclear weapons sites and subsidizes conventional and alternative fuels. The department has a history of fiscal and environmental mismanagement. Further, misguided energy regulations have caused large loses to consumers and the economy over the decades.
The department will spend about $45 billion in 2011, or about $380 for every U.S. household. It employs about 17,000 workers directly and oversees 100,000 contract workers at 21 national laboratories and other facilities across the nation. The department operates 37 different subsidy programs.
Timeline of Government Growth
- See this timeline for key events in the department’s growth.
Reading Room
- Here are background studies that examine the department's activities.
Cato Experts
- Jerry Taylor, Senior Fellow
- Peter Van Doren, Editor, Regulation
- Chris Edwards, Director, Tax Policy Studies
- Tad DeHaven, Budget Policy Analyst
Spending Cuts Summary
- Here are proposed spending cuts to the department to save taxpayers about $18 billion annually.
Downsize This!
- Energy Subsidies. The department has spent billions of dollars over the decades on dead-end schemes and dubious projects that have often had large cost overruns.
- A Brief History of Energy Regulations. Most federal intrusions into energy markets have been serious mistakes. They have destabilized markets, reduced domestic output, and decreased consumer welfare.
- Energy Intervention Today. The current arguments for energy intervention and energy subsidies fall short.
"All Americans are involved in making energy policy. When individual choices are made with a maximum of personal understanding and a minimum of government restraints, the result is the most appropriate energy policy."
- Reagan administration energy plan, 1981
