Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change

United Kingdom Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change
Arms of Her Majesty's Government
Flag of the United Kingdom
Incumbent Amber Rudd since 11 May 2015
Department of Energy and Climate Change
Style	The Right Honourable (Formal prefix) Energy Secretary Madam Secretary
Appointer	Elizabeth II
Inaugural holder	Ed Miliband
Formation	3 October 2008
Website	www.decc.gov.uk/

Her Majesty's Principal Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change is a British government cabinet position currently held by Amber Rudd. The Department for Energy and Climate Change was created on 3 October 2008 when former Prime Minister Gordon Brown reshuffled his Cabinet.

The Energy and Climate Change Secretary revives the earlier post of the Secretary of State for Energy as head of the Department of Energy, existing from 1974 to 1992. After which, the Department of Energy was merged into the Department of Trade and Industry under the Conservative government of Sir John Major in 1992.

Sixteen years later, and immediately prior to the creation of the new department, energy policy was the responsibility of the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (itself now a defunct government department, superseded by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills).

In 2010, Lord Marland was made Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State.

On 3 February 2012, Chris Huhne resigned from the post after it was announced that he would be prosecuted for perverting the course of justice, in relation to accusations that he passed on speeding penalties to his ex-wife to avoid losing his own licence. The post was taken over by Ed Davey on the same day.

Secretaries of State

Colour key
      Conservative       Labour       Liberal Democrats

Secretary of State for Energy (1974–1992)
Name			Term of office		Political party	Prime Minister
	Lord Carrington		8 January 1974	4 March 1974	Conservative		Edward Heath
	Eric Varley		5 March 1974	10 June 1975	Labour		Harold Wilson
	Tony Benn		10 June 1975	4 May 1979	Labour
							James Callaghan
	David Howell		5 May 1979	14 September 1981	Conservative		Margaret Thatcher
	Nigel Lawson		14 September 1981	11 June 1983	Conservative
	Peter Walker		11 June 1983	13 June 1987	Conservative
	Cecil Parkinson		13 June 1987	24 July 1989	Conservative
	John Wakeham		24 July 1989	11 April 1992	Conservative
							John Major
Department abolished 1992. Functions transferred to the Department of Trade and Industry.
Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change (2008–present)
Name		Portrait	Term of office		Political party	Prime Minister
	Ed Miliband		3 October 2008	11 May 2010	Labour		Gordon Brown
	Chris Huhne		12 May 2010	3 February 2012	Liberal Democrats		David Cameron (Coalition)
	Ed Davey	60px	3 February 2012	8 May 2015	Liberal Democrats
	Amber Rudd		11 May 2015	Incumbent	Conservative		David Cameron (II)

See also

• Minister of State at the Department of Energy and Climate Change
• Shadow Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change