Chu, who won a Nobel Prize in physics in 1997 for his work to develop methods to cool and trap atoms with lasers, worked at Bell Labs and Stanford University before becoming head of the Berkeley lab in 2004.

In a speech at the National Press Club on September 17, 2008, Chu emphasized his concerns about the threat of global warming, saying, "Our country needs to act quickly with fiscal and regulatory policies to ensure widespread deployment of effective technologies that maximize energy efficiency and minimize carbon emission." He noted "However, most companies are reluctant to invest in research into transformational technologies that may not see commercialization for 10 years, even though such technologies could dramatically change the entire energy landscape." "I believe that aggressive support of energy science and technology, coupled with incentives that accelerate the development and deployment of innovative solutions, can transform the entire landscape of energy demand and supply. It is especially important that we invest in those ideas that industry has not yet been willing to explore," he said.