The arrival of the 110th Congress and a new majority party brings fresh faces heading up several powerful Congressional committees. According to the U.S. Senate's committee overview website:

Several thousand bills and resolutions are referred to committees during each 2-year Congress. Committees select a small percentage for consideration, and those not addressed often receive no further action.

In other words, committees in the House and Senate play a major role in determining the legislative agenda for the rest of Congress and the nation.

In the Senate, Barbara Boxer (D-CA) will replace James Inhofe (R-OK) as chair of the Senate Committee on the Environment and Public Works. Over the last few years, Inhofe, who will remain on the committee as minority chairman, has drawn the ire of environmentalists by delivering a series of anti-environment and/or unenlightened remarks. Barbara Boxer received a perfect environmental voting record score from the League of Conservation Voters in 2006 and has aggressive environmental legislation planned for the new Congressional session.

The Senate's Energy and Natural Resources Committee will also see changes. Sen. Jeff Bingaman (D-NM) will replace Pete V. Domenici (R-NM) as chairman. Bingaman has long been an advocate for renewable energy and federal action on climate change, though his ardent support for his home state's two nuclear research labs (Los Alamos and Sandia) and endorsement of "clean coal" worry some.

Over on the House side, Rep. John D. Dingell (D-MI) will take the reigns of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce. Dingell's chairmanship may be the least attractive of committee changes from a green perspective. Dingell has often expressed skepticism about the causes of climate change and the viability of proposed solutions. Then again, he is replacing Joe "But for us to try to step in and say we have got to do all these global things to prevent the Earth from getting any warmer in my opinion is absolute nonsense" Barton (R-TX).

The House Resources Committee will see multiple changes including a new chairman and a new (old) name. The committee will regain its pre-Gingrich Revolution moniker of House Natural Resources Committee to show "commitment to conserving our nation's unique natural and cultural heritage — including its natural environment, public lands and forests, and fish and wildlife" said Rep. Nick Rahall. Rahall (D-WV) will replace environmental bad-boy Richard Pombo (who was defeated in California's 11th District last November by wind energy expert Jerry McNerney) as committee chairman.