In the United States, Q clearance is a high-level security clearance granted by the Department of Energy (DOE). It is primarily associated with access to classified information related to nuclear weapons, nuclear energy, and other sensitive DOE programs. The Q clearance is equivalent to the Top Secret clearance used by other federal agencies like the Department of Defense or the Intelligence Community, but it is specifically administered by the DOE for its employees, contractors, and others who need access to DOE-restricted data.

So, to answer your question: the Department of Energy (DOE) is the agency that issues and manages Q clearance.

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