NBC: Chu for energy

Fire up the Google: NBC reports that Obama's next wave of key appointments, the energy posts, will be composed of lower-profile professionals than his earlier picks.

At Energy, Nobel laureate Steven Chu, who runs the Berkeley National Lab is expected to be named, NBC says; at EPA, it's New Jersey's former environmental chief, now Jon Corzine's chief of staff, Lisa Jackson. Carol Browner, they report, will be "energy czar."

Chu is a major backer of alternative energy, including solar and biofuels; you can read more about it at the site of his lab's Helios project.

These are obviously accomplished people and capable administrators. Chu, for instance, has more academic credentials -- hard to beat a Nobel -- and has run a bigger organization than most of Obama's appointees to economic and foreign policy posts.

The question is whether the lower-profile environmental appointees will be able to compete for oxygen in the political, Washington universe of the White House with the higher profile foreign policy and economic teams.