White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel asserted that Congress would produce an energy bill by the end of the year, but the status of climate legislation is less clear even though the Obama administration supports the idea.

Summit of the Americas host, Trinidad and Tobago, voiced concern that the island nation may cease to exist if the worst effects of global climate change are not averted.

The Indigenous Peoples’ Global Summit on Climate Change is being held in Anchorage, Alaska this week. 400 people from 80 nations are expected to attend the U.N.-affiliated conference.

The Centers For International Trade and Development will be hosting an event on the emerging clean energy markets of Africa, Latin America, and the Caribbean in San Francisco next week. Jerome Ringo, president of Apollo, will give a keynote and Carla Din, the western regional director, will also speak.

Looking back on the history of the 39-year old celebration, a piece in The New Yorker laments that “Earth Day has lost its edge and, with that, the sense that a different world is possible.”

SCS Energy says that it can build a coal-fired power plant, capture 90 percent of its emissions, and bury them at sea.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce wants a way to streamline the permitting process for clean energy infrastructure projects.

A Good Jobs First report says government regulation are needed to ensure that green jobs pay good wages.

Local Green: California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger says a U.S. clean energy policy is necessary to encourage automakers to develop cleaner, more efficient vehicles.

The AFL-CIO Blog says that the “same groups bankrolling the fight against the Employee Free Choice Act” are working hard to stall union friendly Al Franken’s senatorial career.

–Christopher Greenspan

President-elect Obama officially announced his energy and environment team in Chicago yesterday.

According to Good Jobs First, many critics of the auto industry bailout have supported subsidies to foreign auto companies operating in the U.S.

About twice the number of U.S. labor union representatives attended this year’s U.N. global climate summit over the previous year.

The solar power industry currently employs 25,000 to 35,000 people and the Solar Energy Industries Association estimates that figure will increase 400 percent by 2016.

The recession may help small solar start-ups.

Domestic oil drilling dropped by 12 percent since September, a much quicker decline than expected.

A piece at Yale Environment 360 considers how to make federal stimulus money work to build America’s economy while greening the bottom line.

Local Green: Virginia Governor Tim M. Kaine announced the Renew Virginia Initiative, which aims to make the state more energy efficient and protect the environment.

California became the first state to legislate diesel truck emissions, hoping to reduce soot pollution by 85 percent.

Two new geothermal energy plants (65 megawatts) will begin operations early next year in Nevada.

–Christopher Greenspan