Yesterday, Congressman Ed Markey (D-Mass.) announced that he will take over as chair of the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Energy and the Environment in the 111th Congress. Markey, who currently heads the House Subcommittee on Telecommunications and the Internet, will switch seats with Rep. Rick Boucher (D-Va), but will also retain his chairmanship over the new Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming. In the past, Markey has previously fought against nuclear power and advocated for higher fuel-efficiency standards in automobiles, and is expected to be a strong proponent for aggressive climate change legislation.