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)