Senate Cap-And-Trade Bill Coming Out Next Week: Boxer (Greenwire)

Sens. John Kerry (D-Mass.) and Esthen ExchangeJoe Lieberman (I-Conn.) are planning to release their climate and energy bill as soon as next week even if they cannot win back their longtime GOP partner, according to a top Senate Democrat.

BP ‘Dome’ Carries Hopes of Averting Oil Catastrophe (AFP)

BP dispatched a giant domelike structure to contain the Gulf of Mexico oil spill on a high-stakes mission aiming to limit the damage from what is becoming an environmental catastrophe.

BP’s U.S. Gulf Project Exempted from Enviro Analysis (Reuters)

U.S. regulators exempted BP from a detailed environmental review of the exploration project that ultimately resulted in the deadly Gulf of Mexico explosion and subsequent oil spill, documents show.

U.S. Says 13 Nations and UN Offering Oil Spill Help (AP)

The State Department says officials are considering offers of assistance from 13 countries and the UN to help with the massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

Rep. Rahall Eyes New Offshore Oil Controls (The Hill)

House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Nick Rahall (D-W.Va.) said Wednesday that he may push legislation aimed at preventing future offshore oil spills.

Palin Rallies Supporters of U.S. Drilling Despite Oil Spill (AFP)

Sarah Palin, who championed offshore oil drilling in Alaska, bashed "foreign" companies Wednesday as the culprits behind the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico and said increased "domestic" oil production would make the nation more secure.

BP Gulf Oil Spill Suits Might Be Combined, Quickly Resolved, Lawyer Says (Bloomberg)

About 200 attorneys suing BP over the Gulf of Mexico oil spill met in a New Orleans hotel to devise a strategy for resolving virtually all spill litigation within three months, a lawyer said.

U.S. Carbon Emissions Fell Record 7% in 2009: EIA (Reuters)

U.S. energy-related emissions of carbon dioxide fell a record 7% in 2009 due to the recession and more efficient fuel use, the Energy Information Administration said on Wednesday.

India Toughens Stand in Run-Up to Mexico (Times of India)

India has said that Copenhagen Accord is not to be treated as the basis of a negotiating text unless it is agreed and adopted by all the parties, and that it should be used to facilitate the formal UN talks on Kyoto Protocol and a long-term agreement.

China Guangdong Nuclear Plans $1.2 Billion Wind Farm (Bloomberg)

China Guangdong Nuclear Power Group plans to build a $1.2 billion wind farm in the southwestern province of Yunnan as demand for renewable energy rises in the world’s fastest-growing major economy.

UN Forecasts Less than 1 Bln Kyoto Offsets by 2012 (Reuters)

A UN agency on Wednesday cut its forecast for pre-2012 Kyoto Protocol carbon offsets, estimating for the first time that less than 1 billion tons will come to market before the climate pact expires.

Massey CEO Denies His Management Style Led to Fatal Blast, Won’t Resign (Bloomberg)

Massey Energy CEO Don Blankenship, whose company is under investigation because of the April 5 explosion at the Upper Big Branch mine, said he has no plans to resign and denied his management style contributed to the disaster.

500 European Cities Pledge 20 Percent CO2 Cut (BusinessGreen)

More than 500 European mayors have committed this week to cut CO2 emissions by more than 20% by 2020, raising the number of cities making this pledge to more than 1,600 in 36 countries representing 120 million citizens.