Sens. John Kerry (D-Mass.), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) plan to unveil their long-awaited climate change and energy bill on Monday, April 26, according to sources familiar with the plans. The trio had earlier planned to unveil the measure next week, but the bill remains under development.

The House Energy and Commerce Committee unanimously approved a bill Thursday that seeks to address security vulnerabilities in the nation's energy grid.

The legislation, which now heads to the House floor, would charge the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) with the responsibility of identifying and addressing weaknesses in the country's energy delivery system.

The Grid Reliability and Infrastructure Defense (GRID) Act arrives at the behest of lawmakers and experts who fear hackers and other cyber-terrorists could easily de-stabilize the country's energy systems remotely, causing untold harm to both the federal government and the private sphere.

Closing those prospective security holes is crucial for Democrats, especially, if they hope soon to forge ahead with their plans to establish a Web-based "Smart Grid" that allows Americans to gauge their energy use.

“Right now, our electrical grid is vulnerable to threats from terrorists and hostile countries. Our adversaries have motive, intent, and the capacity to exploit these weaknesses,” said Rep. Ed Markey (D-Mass.), the chairman of the Energy and Environment Subcommittee and the bill's co-sponsor, following Thursday's 47-0 vote.

“Every one of our nation’s critical systems – water, healthcare, telecommunications, transportation, law enforcement, and financial services – depends on the grid,” Markey said in a statement stressing the legislation's importance.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Thursday that the U.S. hopes to aid development of natural gas from shale formations in other western hemisphere countries even as she acknowledged environmental concerns about the resource.

“The United States will promote the use of shale gas. I know in some places that is controversial,” Clinton said. She spoke at the Energy and Climate Ministerial of the Americas, a two-day meeting of energy ministers hosted by the U.S., the Inter-American Development Bank and the Organization of American States.

The oil-and-gas industry’s increasing ability to tap gas trapped in shale rock formations has helped boost U.S. supplies, but environmentalists and some lawmakers fear that drilling methods that break through the formations will contaminate water supplies.

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Congressional Democrats proposed an overhaul of chemical laws intended to give federal regulators more power to restrict use of certain chemicals they deem hazardous.

Legislation introduced in the Senate and a discussion draft released in the House follows a year of talks among various stakeholder groups on how to update the often-criticized Toxic Substances Control Act of 1976.

One prominent special interest, chemical companies, called the legislation released Wednesday a good first step as they signaled opposition to some key provisions in the measure, a fight that could delay final approval despite efforts to get broad buy-in to the reform effort.

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President Obama on Thursday launched a new offensive against coal mine owners whom he accused of shirking safety rules.

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The Inter-American Development Bank on Thursday pledged to increase financing for renewable energy and climate-related projects to $3 billion annually by 2012.

The bank's lending for sustainable energy projects will likely reach $1.5 billion this year, IDB said.

The announcement comes at the start of a two-day conference of western hemisphere energy ministers hosted by the bank, the Energy Department, the State Department and the Organization of American States.

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* Mine appeals delayed sanctions

From the Wall Street Journal: “Four dozen coal mines, including the Massey Energy Co. mine in West Virginia where 29 miners were killed this month, escaped tougher enforcement for months while safety citations were being appealed, according to Rep. George Miller (D., Calif.).”

"Mine operators who game the system to avoid tough scrutiny by federal safety officials must be held accountable," Miller said, according to the Journal.

The industry says it supports efforts by Miller, who is the chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee, to reduce a backlog of appeals at the Mine Safety and Health Administration. National Mining Association spokeswoman Carol Raulston called the backlog an “untenable situation.”

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Over the past several years, reports by the Government Accountability Office, the Interior Department’s inspector general and others have highlighted problems with Interior’s oil-and-gas royalty collection practices.

A major part of the system is still a mess, GAO said in its latest study made public Wednesday.

The report finds that regulators lack “reasonable assurance” that oil and natural gas produced on federal leases is being accurately measured. That’s important because such measurements are needed to ensure that producers are paying what they owe.

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Rep. George Miller (D-CA) released a list of 48 mines that federal mine safety officials said last August warranted increased oversight but did not receive it because of unresolved appeals by mine operators. Here's the list.

The list includes the Upper Big Branch Mine in West Virginia where 29 miners lost their lives in an explosion on April 5, Miller’s office said in a release. Miller is the chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee, which oversees the Mine Safety and Health Administration.

The issue of mine companies appealing safety citations has gained greater prominence since the mine disaster, the deadliest in 40 years. Miller’s office said there is a backlog of 16,000 operator appeals.

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