WASHINGTON — Energy Secretary Steven Chu said in a letter to department employees Friday that he plans to leave the administration to return to California once a successor is named.
Chu, who was criticized by Republicans for supporting Solyndra LLC, a solar-panel maker that received a $535 million loan guarantee and went bankrupt two years later, defended his support for clean-energy.
“The department has played a significant role in accelerating the transition to affordable, accessible and sustainable energy,” Chu wrote.