The United States Department of Energy (DOE) is a federal Cabinet-level department responsible for national energy policy, scientific research, and nuclear security. It oversees a network of 17 national laboratories, administers the Office of Science (a leading funder of physical sciences research), and manages the National Nuclear Security Administration. DOE programs span energy efficiency standards, authorization of certain energy exports, management of the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, and environmental cleanup of the nuclear weapons complex.
For the chemical sector, DOE is a key driver of research, development, and demonstration in areas such as industrial decarbonization, process efficiency, carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS), clean hydrogen production and use, bioenergy and sustainable feedstocks, advanced materials and catalysis, and critical materials. It supports projects through funding, loans, and technical assistance via offices including the Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations, the Loan Programs Office, the Office of Science, ARPA‑E, and the Industrial Efficiency and Decarbonization Office. DOE’s work shapes technology pathways, infrastructure planning, and commercialization efforts that affect chemical manufacturing, energy use, and emissions across the industry in the United States.
