42 U.S.C. § 5812

(a) Administrator; appointment There shall be at the head of the Administration an Administrator of Energy Research and Development (hereinafter in this chapter referred to as the “Administrator”), who shall be appointed from civilian life by the President by and with the advice and consent of the Senate. A person may not be appointed as Administrator within two years after release from active duty as a commissioned officer of a regular component of an Armed Force. The Administration shall be administered under the supervision and direction of the Administrator, who shall be responsible for the efficient and coordinated management of the Administration. (b) Deputy Administrator There shall be in the Administration a Deputy Administrator, who shall be appointed by the President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate. (c) Qualifications of Administrator and Deputy Administrator The President shall appoint the Administrator and Deputy Administrator from among individuals who, by reason of their general background and experience are specially qualified to manage a full range of energy research and development programs. (d) Assistant Administrators; number; appointment; qualifications There shall be in the Administration six Assistant Administrators, one of whom shall be responsible for fossil energy, another for nuclear energy, another for environment and safety, another for conservation, another for solar, geothermal, and advanced energy systems, and another for national security. The Assistant Administrators shall be appointed by the President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate. The President shall appoint each Assistant Administrator from among individuals who, by reason of general background and experience, are specially qualified to manage the energy technology area assigned to such Assistant Administrator. (e) General Counsel There shall be in the Administration a General Counsel who shall be appointed by the Administrator and who shall serve at the pleasure of and be removable by the Administrator. (f) Additional officers There shall be in the Administration not more than eight additional officers appointed by the Administrator. The positions of such officers shall be considered career positions and be subject to section 2201(d) of this title . (g) Director of Military Application; functions; qualifications; compensation The Division of Military Application transferred to and established in the Administration by section 5814(d) of this title shall be under the direction of a Director of Military Application, who shall be appointed by the Administrator and who shall serve at the pleasure of and be removable by the Administrator and shall be an active commissioned officer of the Armed Forces serving in general or flag officer rank or grade. The functions, qualifications, and compensation of the Director of Military Application shall be the same as those provided under the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended [ 42 U.S.C. 2011 et seq.], for the Assistant General Manager for Military Application. (h) Allocation of functions; responsibility for international cooperation Officers appointed pursuant to this section shall perform such functions as the Administrator shall specify from time to time. The Administrator shall delegate to one such officer the special responsibility for international cooperation in all energy and related environmental research and development. (i) Order of succession The Deputy Administrator (or in the absence or disability of the Deputy Administrator, or in the event of a vacancy in the office of the Deputy Administrator, an Assistant Administrator, the General Counsel or such other official, determined according to such order as the Administrator shall prescribe) shall act for and perform the functions of the Administrator during any absence or disability of the Administrator or in the event of a vacancy in the office of the Administrator.