42 U.S.C. § 7131: Establishment

There is established at the seat of government an executive department to be known as the Department of Energy. There shall be at the head of the Department a Secretary of Energy (hereinafter in this chapter referred to as the “Secretary”), who shall be appointed by the President by and with the advice and consent of the Senate. The Department shall be administered, in accordance with the provisions of this chapter, under the supervision and direction of the Secretary. Congress finds that recent natural disasters have underscored the importance of having resilient oil and natural gas infrastructure and effective ways for industry and government to communicate to address energy supply disruptions. improve communication and coordination between the Department of Energy’s energy response team, Federal partners, and industry; leverage the Energy Information Administration’s subject matter expertise within the Department’s energy response team to improve supply chain situation assessments; establish company liaisons and direct communication with the Department’s energy response team to improve situation assessments; streamline and enhance processes for obtaining temporary regulatory relief to speed up emergency response and recovery; facilitate and increase engagement among States, the oil and natural gas industry, and the Department in developing State and local energy assurance plans; establish routine education and training programs for key government emergency response positions with the Department and States; and involve States and the oil and natural gas industry in comprehensive drill and exercise programs. The activities carried out under subsection (b) shall include collaborative efforts with State and local government officials and the private sector. Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act [ Dec. 4, 2015 ], the Secretary of Energy shall submit to Congress a report describing the effectiveness of the activities authorized under this section.”