OFFSHORE EXPLORATION: The federal government has authorized the search for oil and gas deposits using aircraft off the coasts of North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia. (WUNC North Carolina Public Radio)

SOLAR:
South Carolina approved solar energy incentives to be offered by utilities. (Southern Environmental Law Center blog)
• Georgia Power seeks to build its fifth solar system at a military base in the state. (Atlanta Business Chronicle)
• The Dept. of Energy seeks public input by July 27 for how to more quickly deploy solar systems on commercial rooftops. (Nashville Business Journal)
Solar owners are becoming more satisfied with their utilities, says a new J.D. Power report. (Greentech Media)

ELECTRIC VEHICLES: Finding charging stations remains a challenge for electric vehicle owners. (ClimateWire)

COAL:
Hillary Clinton hints and West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin welcomes her comments signaling would-be efforts to help the ailing coal industry. (E&E Daily)
• The Obama administration unveiled new standards to better protect streams in Appalachia from mountaintop coal removal, critics call the rule “job-crushing.” (The Hill, Lexington Herald-Leader)
• The New York Stock Exchange halted trading of  Virginia-based Alpha Natural Resources as talks with its creditors pointed toward a bankruptcy filing. (Charleston Gazette)

SUSTAINABILITY: Economics are the main driver of Appalachian State University’s push to meet its energy needs with increased efficiency and renewable energy. (WFDD North Carolina Public Radio)

CLIMATE: Ocean surface temperatures were the warmest in 135 years of records, says the latest report by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the American Meteorological Society. (Associated Press)

NUCLEAR: A new report illuminates the gap between the purported potential of next-generation technology and the industry’s ability to deliver it cost-effectively. (Greentech Media)

BIOMASS: Fossil-fuel use is degrading the potential of biomass energy sources, say researchers from the universities in Georgia and New Mexico. (Athens Banner-Herald)

POLLUTION: A bill headed for a vote in the Republican-controlled House would cut required vehicle emissions testing in mostly rural counties by 2020. (Associated Press)

CARIBBEAN: A White House initiative is promoting clean energy for the fuel-starved Caribbean region. (WLRN Public Radio, South Miami)

UTILITIES: The parent company of Tampa Electric has hired advisers to explore the sale of the company, including its coal assets. (The Tampa Tribune)

PIPELINES: The water utility serving central Arkansas is asking a judge to require the relocation of the Pegasus pipeline which ruptured in 2013. (Northwest Arkansas Democrat Gazette)

OIL & GAS: Miramar, Florida officials move to block exploratory drilling in the Everglades. (South Florida Sun-Sentinel)

COMMENTARY: A landmark settlement involving Gulf Power is set to protect the Apalachicola River in north Florida from coal ash. (Southern Alliance for Clean Energy blog)

Jim Pierobon, a policy, marketing and social media strategist, was a founding contributor to Southeast Energy News. He passed away after a long battle with pancreatic cancer in 2018.

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