NUCLEAR: Toshiba Corp. will pay $3.68 billion toward the construction of the Vogtle nuclear plant in Georgia, allowing the project to continue. (Associated Press)

SOLAR:
• A bill moving through North Carolina’s legislature promises to end the standoff between the solar industry and Duke Energy while tripling the state’s capacity, but critics question the long-term outlook. (Southeast Energy News)
• A solar bill being considered by the North Carolina Senate has a provision that says projects can be inside or outside the state, which would affect Duke Energy in South Carolina. (Charlotte Business Journal)
• An ongoing program that educates workers in Kentucky on transitioning to new fields focuses on renewable energy. (WEKU)
• Developers propose a new 100 MW solar project in Virginia. (Daily Press)

***SPONSORED LINK: Ready to join your colleagues and take the lead in creating a resilient future? Register now for the 2017 Resilient Virginia Conference, August 1-2 in Richmond.***

PIPELINES:
• The Virginia Supreme Court ordered surveyors for the Mountain Valley Pipeline to stop work temporarily on three properties owned by one family. (Roanoke Times)
• The Sabal Trail pipelines have permission to begin shipping natural gas that will serve South Florida plants. (Palm Beach Post)
• Five citizen groups have filed a petition in a federal appeals court to overturn the West Virginia DEQ’s approval of a Clean Water Act authorization for a proposed natural gas pipeline. (Associated Press)
• Several hundred people in Virginia attended a festival in opposition of the Mountain Valley and Atlantic Coast natural gas pipelines. (Roanoke Times)

COAL:
• The Energy Department announces $6.9 million in funding toward extracting rare earth minerals from coal and mining waste; the projects are seen as a potential lifeline for the coal industry. (news release, Washington Examiner)
• A West Virginia DEP official wants congressional action to renew a federal coal production tax that funds the cleanup of abandoned mines. (Charleston Gazette-Mail)
• As Mississippi Power’s Kemper “clean coal” project struggles, President Trump wants to cut research and development funds that could help it. (Seeker)

OIL:
• Virginia Democratic gubernatorial candidate Tom Perriello has sold stock in Exxon Mobil that he bought weeks before launching his campaign. (Associated Press)
• The Coast Guard responded to an oil spill southeast of New Orleans. (Associated Press)
• Oyster farming is catching on in the Gulf seven years after the BP oil spill. (NPR)

COMMENTARY:
• Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe wrote a column in the Washington Post encouraging other states to take action on clean energy.
• A West Virginia oil and gas lobbyist cautions against the rebound of low natural gas prices. (Charleston Gazette-Mail)
• A newspaper editor thinks South Carolina has too many “environmental cowards” and wants local and state leaders to pursue renewable energy options. (Statehouse Report)
• Although Virginia will likely receive approval to add a third unit to the North Anna nuclear generation plant, it’s hard to see why this option is being considered. (Clean Technica)
• A guest columnist questions whether the proposed Atlantic Coast Pipeline is a “public necessity.” (Virginian-Pilot)
• An editorial praises Toshiba’s guarantee of construction at the Vogtle nuclear plant, but wonders about the Summer plant’s fate. (Aiken Standard)