Cross-posted at Huffington Post.

When it comes to the outlook for climate and energy policy under President-elect Barack Obama and the 111th Congress, there’s the good news, and then there are the serious challenges that we must work together to confront in the critical year that lies ahead.

As the new Congress gears up for next year, the House Energy and Commerce Committee (a crucial committee for climate legislation) may experience some important changes. Rep. Henry A. Waxman (D-Calif.) is planning to challenge Rep. John D. Dingell (D-Mich.), the House’s most senior member, for the chairmanship.

New coal plants are the most urgent threat to our dangerously fragile climate. Just yesterday, an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) appeals board issued a ruling that will essentially halt the construction of new coal plants in the United States for the near term.

Huge news came out yesterday--NO NEW COAL PLANTS! The Sierra Club's legal team has forced the EPA to put an immediate halt on the construction of all new coal-fired power plants in the US. This news marks a huge victory for the climate movement! It's Getting Hot in Here reports:

Just a few hours ago, the EPA released a decision that will put an immediate halt to the construction of new coal-fired power plants in the US. This is an enormous coup for the climate movement.

The Office of Management and Budget is burning oil – midnight oil, that is. They’re lucky it’s fairly cheap these days.

They’re working overtime to review a trainload of proposed rule changes that have been submitted by a variety of agencies in the twilight of the Bush Administration.

Late last spring, I flagged in this blog a memo issued by White House chief of staff Joshua Bolten to regulatory agencies advising them to pull together any proposed rule changes they might wish to pursue by June 1, with an aim toward making them final by November 1. This, Mr. Bolten explained, was to avoid a mad dash for midnight regulations -- those last-minute tweaks to federal rules made in the final weeks and months of a departing administration. The memo made an exception for “extraordinary circumstances” -- of course.

Aside from Barack Obama, there was another landslide winner in last Tuesday's election: clean energy:

A majority of U.S. voters in a post-election survey indicated they agreed clean energy initiatives were important to helping the economy, researchers said.

In a Zogby International post-election poll, 96 percent of Democrats, 77 percent of independent voters and 58 percent of Republicans indicated their belief that clean energy is important to giving the nation's economy a lift. Eighty-seven percent of voters age 18-24 indicated they agreed with concept.

. . . . .

"Support for action on global warming, already strong in the 2006 election, was even stronger in 2008, particularly among young voters that are the future electorate," President and Chief Executive Officer John Zogby said.

By now you probably know about the Climate Leadership Now national day of action on November 18. On that Tuesday, we'll welcome President-elect Obama and the new Congress by calling on them to keep their climate promises in 2009 (did you sign up yet?). But what did they promise, exactly? We've produced this video to remind us all what candidates Obama and Biden said about green jobs, "clean coal" and climate change on the campaign trail:

We'll have a chance on November 18 to help President-elect Obama and Congress hit the ground running next year by calling on them to take bold climate action. With a crumbling economy and a planet in peril, the new president will have a historic opportunity to pivot our economy away from dirty fossil fuels and towards a clean, energy-efficient economy -- all while creating millions of green jobs that will lift up our communities and rebuild our middle class. There's no time to waste -- sign up for November 18 today!

Although days have passed, I am still in awe that Barack Obama is the president-elect of the United States and January cannot come soon enough! Not only has Obama brought hope, for a new direction into our corrupt political system, but it's really comforting to know that we will finally have a President who understands the seriousness of climate change.

Ceres President Mindy Lubber reacts to Tuesday's election results:

The election of Barack Obama and a strengthened Democratic Congress is a pivotal opportunity for the nation to reset its course. We must accept the offer made last night by the president-elect to “join in the work of remaking the nation.” And we must hold our new leaders to their promise to reform the instruments of our society to assure a future that is livable, safe and just for everyone.