In‘ 1977 President Jimmy Carter, following his campaign promise to
give energy reorganization a high priority, proposed the establishment
of a
single cabinet level Department of Energy to be created from
several existing energy agencies.
He obtained legislation creating the
department and activated it on October 1, 1977.
‘The entire nuclear
weapon program was transferred to the new department and placed under an
assistant secretary for defense programs.>’
In contrast to 1975 only
one Congressman raised the question of whether it was appropriate to
assign the weapon program to a civilian energy agency.
The Weapon Program of the Department of Fneroy
The department launched a camprehensive weapon program, including
the production of Trident/Poseidon warheads, the development of warheacs
for Minuteman and Cruise missiles,
fired projectiles.
nuclear weapons.
and plans for improved artictery
The department continued to study new generations c=
In November 1977 the department announced the carmpie-
tion at Lawrence Livermore Laboratory of a major facility designec +o
conduct laser-driven fusion research.
The department foresaw creat
progress using carbon dioxide lasers of even greater power and
inten-
sity, and erected a laser fusion laboratory at Los Alamos as well as a
Particle Beam Fusion Facility at Sandia Laboratories.
To support the
Carter Administration’ s search for a comprehensive test ban treaty “ne
department also pursued a vigorous program of
seismic
research
anc
placed an advanced seismic detection station at McMinnville, Tennessee.
The department conducted a nuclear weapon accident exercise
at
me
Nevada Test Site and initiated a program to improve and arrest deter:cration in the aging nuclear weapon production plants. 7°