The Office of Energy Justice and Equity develops and executes Department-wide policies to implement applicable legislation and Executive Orders that strengthen diversity and inclusion goals affecting equal employment opportunities, small and disadvantaged businesses, minority educational institutions, and historically under-represented communities. 

Our mission is to identify and implement ways of ensuring that everyone is afforded an opportunity to participate fully in the Department of Energy's programs, opportunities, and resources.

  • We encourage partnerships with Minority Serving Institutions and other minority-owned and serving entities to join us in our mission-critical work.
  • We seek to increase contracting opportunities for small and disadvantaged businesses by establishing goals, putting together smart policy, and developing programs to increase the support going to small businesses through government contracts.
  • We assure equal opportunity for minorities, women, persons with disabilities, people with limited English proficiency, and develop and administer Departmental policies, practices, and procedures under certain laws and titles.
  • We work to create and sustain a high-performing, inclusive workforce by leveraging diversity and empowering all employees to achieve superior results in the service of our Nation.

Legislative Mandate

The Office of Minority Economic Impact, now titled the Office of Energy Justice and Equity, was established in Fiscal Year 1979 pursuant to Section 641, Title VI, Part 3 of the National Energy Conservation Policy Act of 1978. Download a copy of our legislative mandate. In 2016, the definition of “minority” originally used in PL 95-619, sec. 641 was modernized under Public Law 114–157.

Vision

The Office of Energy Justice and Equity will create and sustain a high performing, inclusive workforce by leveraging diversity and empowering all employees to achieve superior results in the service of our Nation.

Topics

Goals

Our office measures success in its effectiveness in aiding the disadvantaged in finding opportunities at the Department of Energy and in other Federal programs. Through extensive research and close partnerships, we have been able to specifically target barriers to minorities and execute strategies to overcome them. We believe our office is a model of how diversity positively impacts the Department of Energy and provides a unique, cutting-edge quality to the Department.