"With no say in their chamber's agenda but an ambitious goal of reclaiming the majority, House Democrats are turning to energy and environmental issues in their latest bid to promote an alternative to the GOP economic agenda ahead of the 2012 election.

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) later today will announce a Monday hearing of the Democratic Steering and Policy Committee on the job-creation benefits of "protecting the taxpayer and securing our energy future," according to a copy of the announcement obtained by Greenwire. The hearing is expected to home in on the clean-energy funding that could be freed up by rolling back subsidies for major oil companies, a proposal outlined in President Obama's State of the Union address. "

Elana Schor and Sarah Abruzzese report for Greenwire February 25, 2011. [2]