Obama Said to Pick Nobel Laureate Chu as Energy Chief

Dec. 11 (Bloomberg) -- Nobel laureate Steve Chu is Barack Obama’s choice to head the Department of Energy as the president-elect rounds out his energy and environmental team, a person close to the transition said.

The president-elect will name Chu, director of the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, as the country’s 12th energy secretary next week, along with other key energy and environmental posts, Democratic aides said.

Obama aims to complete his Cabinet appointments by the end of next week before he leaves for vacation. Today he named former South Dakota Senator Tom Daschle to head the Department of Health and Human Services and oversee a new White House office that will coordinate health-care policy. Obama says the current economic turmoil makes it more urgent to overhaul the country’s energy sector and health-care system.