Energy secretary Chu resigns

The Obama administration has lost another one of its energy and environment regulators.

Steven Chu, a Nobel Prize-winning physicist who oversaw a doubling of the nation's renewable energy generating capacity during his four-year tenure, was put in charge of spending huge amounts of money in the aftermath of the 2009 stimulus legislation.

The Energy Department was appropriated billions of dollars to kick-start renewable energy research and, by and large, succeeded in achieving that goal.

"The stimulus investments produced some notable successes, including weatherizing more than [one] million homes for low-income families, saving nearly half a billion dollars in heating and cooling costs every year; doubling the domestic supply of parts for the wind industry; and supporting nearly 200,000 renewable energy jobs," Natural Resources Defense Council executive director Peter Lehner wrote in a blog entry.

The most noteworthy accomplishment has been the Advanced Research Projects Agency - Energy program. Under that initiative the Energy Department is working toward development of technology that would have a significant impact on the efficiency of the nation's energy consumption.

Chu also presided over increases in energy consumption standards for a range of products, including appliances. The household appliance program is expected to save consumers about $10 billion during the next two decades and reduce electricity use by about 14 percent.

Republicans attacked Chu for the failure of one solar energy technology company's bankruptcy after that entity, Solyndra, received a federally-guaranteed loan worth more than $500 million.

The other recipients of federally-backed loans to encourage renewable energy research - about 39 additional entities - did not experience financial failure. The money lent Solyndra amounted to 2.9 percent of the funds allocated to the program.

Obama thanked Chu for his service in a White House statement.

"As a Nobel Prize winning scientist, Steve brought to the Energy Department a unique understanding of both the urgent challenge presented by climate change and the tremendous opportunity that clean energy represents for our economy. And during his time as Secretary, Steve helped my Administration move America towards real energy independence," Obama said.

Other environment regulators that have announced their departures from the administration are EPA administrator Lisa Jackson, NOAA director Jane Lubchenco, and secretary of the interior Ken Salazar.

Chu is the first research scientists, let alone Nobel Prize winner. to serve at the head of the Energy Department. He will return to academic life in California, where he headed the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory before joining Obama's cabinet.