OIL DOWNTURN:
• Bank regulators have issued warnings about lending to U.S. drillers, threatening a cash crunch in an industry that’s more dependent than ever on outside investment. (Bloomberg)
• Crude oil briefly fell below $50 per barrel Monday, as worries about a global oil glut continued to weigh on prices. (FuelFix)
• Oil field service giant Halliburton reported Monday its second-quarter profits sank 93 percent from the same period last year, and its CEO isn’t expecting a significant recovery until 2016. (FuelFix)

OFFSHORE RETREAT: Energy producers are retreating from oil and natural gas exploration in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico, as drilling budgets shrink and exploration migrates to land-based shale fields. (Bloomberg)

CLEAN POWER PLAN: Momentum is building across the Southeast toward a “just say no” campaign in response to the EPA’s final Clean Power Plan, expected to be released within weeks. (EnergyWire)

GRID SECURITY: Federal regulators have begun a push for new cyber security defenses to prevent attackers from penetrating utility control rooms. (EnergyWire)

METHANE: Four New Mexico Democrats are encouraging the Obama administration to release a strong rule regulating methane emissions at oil and gas drilling sites. (The Hill)

PUBLIC LANDS: The top Republican on the House Natural Resources Committee slammed the Obama administration after energy production on federal lands increased just 0.2 percent in 2014. (The Hill)

CONSERVATION: Maryland regulators ordered the state’s electric utilities to boost their efforts to reduce power consumption, setting one of the most ambitious goals in the nation. (The Baltimore Sun)

TAR SANDS: Utah officials have given the go-ahead for a tar sands mine in the state but will require the company to monitor water and air quality. (Associated Press)

COAL: For Illinois farmers, damage from coal mines can span decades, bringing sinking ground, coal dust and water contamination. (Midwest Energy News)

KEYSTONE MILESTONE: The existing southern segment of the Keystone oil pipeline system has pumped its billionth barrel, owner TransCanada Corp. said Monday. (The Hill)

TRANSITION: After decades of providing the punch line in jokes about urban decline, Buffalo, New York, is experiencing an economic turnaround helped by renewable energy. (The New York Times)

CALIFORNIA: An executive order issued by California’s governor would reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 40 percent by 2030, but achieving that is shaping to be a difficult task. (InsideClimate News)

CLIMATE: Minneapolis’ mayor will join more than 60 mayors from around the world meeting with Pope Francis today as part of a conference on climate change and human trafficking. (Minnesota Public Radio)