(UPDATE) The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee announced this afternoon it's canceling its two remaining hearings that were scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday. The hearings, to be rescheduled for after the President's Day recess Monday, will look at the Interior Department's budget and the Energy Department's loan guarantee program. Also, the Environment and Public Works Committee has combined its two hearings on nominations that were originally scheduled for today and Wednesday into one hearing this afternoon. It has also postponed a hearing slated for tomorrow on wildlife and habitat management; no date has been set. (Feb. 9 at 1:50 p.m.)

The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee is delaying its hearing today on electricity market mechanisms in light of the weekend storm that dumped about two feet of snow on the region and the blizzard expected to hit D.C. later today. The Environment and Public Works Committee is still holding its two hearings on nominations, according to a spokesman. The federal government is closed today.

This morning, EPW is considering three nominations to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. All three nominees are set to testify: George Apostolakis, William D. Magwood and William Charles Ostendorff. In the afternoon, the committee is scheduled to consider three more nominations: Arthur Elkins Jr. to be inspector general of the EPA, Earl Gohl Jr. to be federal co-chair of the Appalachian Regional Commission, and Sandford Blitz to be federal co-chair of the Northern Border Regional Commission.

The ENR panel's hearing originally scheduled for today will be rescheduled, but no date has been set yet. Those scheduled to testify include Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Chairman Jon Wellinghoff. The Water and Power Subcommittee's hearing has also been postponed.

Several more hearings and events are scheduled throughout the week, but cancellations are likely since forecasts are calling for blizzard conditions through Wednesday evening. Here's what we know is still on and what isn't:

• The American Wind Energy Association is still hosting a press conference this morning on the 2010 outlook for the renewable energy sector. Leaders of several trade groups representing the hydropower, biomass, geothermal and solar industries are scheduled to speak.

• The Center for American Progress is still holding a discussion this afternoon on the U.N. climate change summit held in Copenhagen in December. U.S. climate envoy Todd Stern is scheduled to give an update on the negotiations, but NationalJournal.com has not been able to confirm whether he will still attend, given the weather.

• White House energy and climate czar Carol Browner's appearance at the National Press Club has been postponed. The event was a U.S. News and World Report briefing on how the federal government works with local governments on sustainable development. House Science and Technology Chairman Bart Gordon, D-Tenn., and other legislators were also scheduled to speak.

Decisions about events Wednesday and later in the week have not been officially made yet.

• The Energy and Natural Resources Committee was to hear from Interior Secretary Ken Salazar on his department's FY2011 budget on Wednesday. Panel members were also scheduled to vote on the nominations of Larry Persily as federal coordinator for Alaska Natural Gas Transmission Projects and Patricia Hoffman to be assistant Energy secretary for electricity delivery and energy reliability.

• Energy Secretary Steven Chu is scheduled to testify to the House Science and Technology Committee on his department's FY2011 budget Thursday morning, while the Senate ENR panel will receive testimony on DOE's loan guarantee program. Witnesses will be posted on the committee's Web site later this week. Also on Thursday, the House select global warming committee will hold a hearing on black carbon pollution; nominees have not been officially announced yet.

• And on Thursday, the Energy Communities Alliance, an organization of local governments, holds its annual conference. Several panel discussions are scheduled, with a focus on nuclear energy and security.

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