The Trump administration revealed a revamped organizational chart for the Department of Energy this week. The new structure eliminates several offices focused on renewable energy while elevating fusion energy.
The shakeup disbands the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, the Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations, the Office of Manufacturing and Energy Supply Chains, the Office of State and Community Energy Programs, the Grid Deployment Office, and the Office of Federal Energy Management Programs.
In contrast, the Department of Energy has created a new Office of Fusion. It has also merged geothermal and fossil fuels under a single office named the Hydrocarbons and Geothermal Energy Office.
Some of these moves will likely spur legal challenges. This is because at least one office affected by the reorganization, the Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations, was authorized by Congress under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
The authority of Cabinet secretaries to move around major functions and offices is very limited, especially when those offices were established and funded through congressional action. Congress has put tight handcuffs on reorganizations, and plans typically require either congressional approval or the opportunity for congressional review.
The creation of the Office of Fusion was likely spurred by a desire to encourage the commercialization of the technology. Previously, fusion energy fell under the Office of Science, which is focused on research rather than commercialization.