NEW : Obama praised Chu for plugging the Gulf oil crisis . President Chu says he will stay on until late February or beyond . Chu is a Nobel Prize winning chemist . Critics blamed Chu for government backing of failed clean energy ventures led by the collapse of Solyndra . Critics blamed Chu for reducing government investments in clean energy development .
NEW : Obama praised Chu for plugging the Gulf oil crisis . President Chu says he will stay on until late February or beyond . Chu is a Nobel Prize winning chemist . Critics blamed Chu for reducing government investments in clean energy development .