. ▁federal ▁ag ency , ▁the ▁majority ▁of ▁which ▁is ▁conducted ▁through ▁its ▁system ▁of ▁National ▁Labor ator ies . ▁The ▁ag ency ▁is ▁admin ister ed ▁by ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁Secretary ▁of ▁Energy , ▁and ▁its ▁headquarters ▁are ▁located ▁in ▁South west ▁Washington , ▁D . C ., ▁on ▁Independ ence ▁Avenue ▁in ▁the ▁James ▁V . ▁For rest al ▁Building , ▁named ▁for ▁James ▁For rest al , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁in ▁Germ ant own , ▁Maryland . ▁ ▁Dan ▁Br ou illet te ▁is ▁the ▁Secretary ▁of ▁Energy ▁as ▁of ▁December ▁ 1 1 , ▁ 2 0 1 9 . ▁ ▁History ▁ ▁Form ation ▁and ▁cons olid ation ▁In ▁ 1 9 4 2 , ▁during ▁World ▁War ▁II , ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁started ▁the ▁Manh attan ▁Project , ▁a ▁project ▁to ▁develop ▁the ▁atomic ▁bomb , ▁under ▁the ▁eye ▁of ▁the ▁U . S . ▁Army ▁Corps ▁of ▁Engine ers . ▁After ▁the ▁war ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 6 , ▁the ▁At omic ▁Energy ▁Commission ▁( A EC ) ▁was ▁created ▁to ▁control ▁the ▁future ▁of ▁the ▁project . ▁Among ▁other ▁nuclear ▁projects , ▁the ▁A EC ▁produced ▁fabric ated ▁u ran ium ▁fuel ▁cores ▁at ▁locations ▁such ▁as ▁Fern ald ▁Fe ed ▁Material s ▁Production ▁Center ▁in ▁C inc inn ati , ▁Ohio . ▁In ▁ 1 9 7 4 , ▁the ▁A EC ▁gave ▁way ▁to ▁the ▁N uc lear ▁Reg ul atory ▁Commission , ▁which ▁was ▁task ed ▁with ▁reg ulating ▁the ▁nuclear