The federal government's role in energy education in the United States over the past 35 years is discussed, focusing on four major areas: (1) training at all academic levels; (2) instructional materials and their development; (3) conceptual foundations of energy education materials; and (4) research and evaluation studies on the effectiveness of the federal government's attempts at energy education. Among the programs reviewed are those sponsored by the Atomic Energy Commission (AEC), Department of Energy (DOE), and the National Science Foundation. Also reviewed is the government response to the Arab-imposed oil embargo, formation of the Federal Energy Office (FEA), absorption of the FEA and AEC into the Energy Research and Development Administration, and the eventual establishment of the Department of Energy. In addition, government-sponsored efforts at articulating a coherent set of ideas related to energy education are reviewed. These efforts are reflected in such reports as "Fundamentals of Environmental Education,""Energy Education Workshop Handbook," and "A Conceptual Framework for Energy Education, K-12." The latter is a detailed outline for curriculum specialists, textbook writers, and producers of other forms of energy curriculum materials. The scope and conclusions of several studies of federal energy education programs concludes this document. (JM)