POLLUTION:
• A federal appeals court ruled the EPA complied with the law in deciding which areas of the country, including Mississippi, failed to meet federal ozone limits. (Associated Press)
• A nonprofit is circulating a petition to ask Virginia to install air monitors near a Dominion coal export facility in Newport News. (The Daily Press)

CLIMATE:
• EPA’s proposed Clean Power Plan has been submitted to the White House for a final rule to be released by around Labor Day. (National Journal)
• A FERC commissioner says the Clean Power Plan’s carbon rule may usurp state powers. (EnergyWire)
• As a presidential candidate, how will South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham address climate change? (Daily Climate)
• County-level data illustrate how Americans love renewable energy but fewer than half don’t believe climate change is hurting the U.S. (Vox)

COAL: At least one shuttered Appalachian Power coal-fired power plant might resume operations. (The Charleston Gazette)

FRACKING: A panel advising Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe is recommending drillers disclose the chemicals they use. (Associated Press)

SOLAR: A proposed 28-megawatt solar energy facility near Charlotte is set for final approval by county commissioners. (Charlotte Observer)

EFFICIENCY:
• Energy efficiency initiatives in Southeast cities are creating jobs and saving money. (NRDC Switchboard)
• Entergy Arkansas exceeded its 2014 energy-savings goals by 3%. (Platts)

PIPELINES: A pipeline in the Arkansas River between Little Rock and North Little Rock ruptured releasing about 4 million cubic feet of natural gas. (Northwest Arkansas Democrat Gazette)

NUCLEAR: The federal government fined an Oak Ridge National Lab contractor for exposing workers to dangerous levels of highly enriched uranium. (Knoxville News Sentinel)

HYDROPOWER: A judge has overturned the denial of a water quality permit blocking the licensing of a hydroelectric station on the Yadkin River in North Carolina. (Charlotte Business Journal)

POLITICS: With donations from Dominion Virginia Power and others, unopposed lawmakers are amassing cash to strengthen their incumbencies. (The Virginian-Pilot)

COMMENTARY
• The former CEO of Bank of America opines how solar could make North Carolina the next Silicon Valley. (The News & Observer)
• An editorial opposes drilling offshore North Carolina purely on a risk-reward basis. (The Outer Banks Voice)
• Some Virginia schools are investing in solar to save money and teach students. (Power for the People VA blog)
•  Look out for EPA’s next “chomp-chomp-chomp” regulatory crusade, this one to reduce emissions from heavy-duty trucks. (Charleston Daily Mail).