Sign of the Energy Crisis
5/1973
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This photograph shows a typical scene of a gas shortage during the energy crisis of the 1970s. It was then that Federal energy policy first became a major political priority. In response to gasoline shortages and a series of petroleum embargos, Presidents Nixon, Ford, and Carter each took steps to readdress America’s energy policy. Through legislative action and an array of executive orders, the Federal Government established the Energy Research and Development Administration, Federal Energy Administration, and Office of Energy Programs.
These various Federal energy agencies were consolidated into a single cabinet-level department in 1977. The new Department of Energy’s primary tasks were to promote a safe and dependable energy system, manage the nation’s nuclear facilities, and facilitate scientific research. In 2001, the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy was created to assist in the development of alternative energy sources, such as biomass and biofuels, solar power, wind power, and hydrogen fuel cells. These initiatives were aimed at lessening the threat of energy crises.
This photograph was taken as part of the Documerica project – a social and environmental photography project sponsored by the Environmental Protection Agency during the 1970s.
This primary source comes from the Records of the Environmental Protection Agency.
National Archives Identifier:
550088Full Citation: Photograph 412-DA-7603; Sign of the Energy Crisis; 5/1973; DOCUMERICA: The Environmental Protection Agency's Program to Photographically Document Subjects of Environmental Concern, 1972 - 1977; Records of the Environmental Protection Agency, Record Group 412; National Archives at College Park, College Park, MD. [Online Version, https://docsteach.org/documents/document/sign-of-the-energy-crisis, March 29, 2024]