SOLAR: Duke Energy and solar developers in the Carolinas reach a major agreement to clear a backlog of interconnection requests and reform the process for connecting to the utility’s grid. (PV Magazine)

ALSO: Arkansas school districts are installing solar projects that will cut energy costs, reduce carbon emissions, and provide educational opportunities. (KTHV)

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CLIMATE: South Carolina’s Chamber of Commerce has “deep concern” about Charleston’s lawsuit seeking climate damages from large oil companies. (Post and Courier)

OFFSHORE DRILLING:
• A federal judge asks the Trump administration to explain how the president’s surprise and partial offshore drilling moratorium this week relates to a previous executive order encouraging energy exploration and production in federal waters. (Post and Courier)
• In a surprise move, a company seeking to conduct seismic testing for oil and gas potential off the coast of North Carolina withdraws its application. (OBX Today)

PIPELINES:
• A Black neighborhood in Memphis has had little say in a pipeline project that could hurt property values and threaten the city’s water supply. (MLK50)
• A Massachusetts woman pleads guilty in Virginia to trespassing in connection to a protest against the Mountain Valley Pipeline. (Roanoke Times)
• A gas line ruptures in a central Florida city sparking a massive fire and neighborhood evacuation. (ClickOrlando.com)

OIL & GAS: Over 1,000 gallons of oil and chemicals spilled into the Chattahoochee River during a power plant fire in Georgia on Sunday. (Rome News-Tribune)

EFFICIENCY: A Tennessee school board approves $13.7 million worth of energy efficiency upgrades after a system-wide energy audit. (Rogersville Review)

BIOMASS: Several groups plan to participate in a caravan protest in Columbia, South Carolina, today against a wood chip pellet producer’s request to expand a facility. (SC Now)

COAL:
• People who live near Tennessee’s Bull Run power plant share thoughts on coal ash cleanup and the future of the site at an online forum. (Oakridger)
• U.S. Labor Secretary Eugene Scalia tours a West Virginia coal mine complex and touts the importance of coal to the nation’s economy. (WSAZ)

CLIMATE: “More heat, less beaches.” Art installations in Tampa and Orlando attempt to warn residents about the impact of climate change. (Miami Herald)

COMMENTARY: A truly diverse energy mix — including renewables and natural gas —is good for West Virginia’s economy, writes a landowner advocate. (Gazette-Mail)

Dan has two decades' experience working in print, digital and broadcast media. Prior to joining the Energy News Network as managing editor in December 2017, he oversaw watchdog reporting at the Sioux Falls Argus Leader, part of the USA Today Network, and before that spent several years as a freelance journalist covering energy, business and technology. Dan is a former Midwest Energy News journalism fellow and a member of Investigative Reporters and Editors. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in journalism and mass communications from University of Minnesota-Twin Cities.