Here are the top stories at 7:30 a.m.:
A heat wave has sharply reduced a surplus of electricity in New England as people use more energy to cool down; Two environmental organizations want the state of Vermont to increase the money it spends on energy efficiency programs by $20 million; State regulators plan to investigate why Internet service was interrupted across Vermont for the second time in a month; The Defense Department expects to know more within days about what caused the death of Castleton native Jason Dene, who died in Iraq last month of a non-combat cause; Tomorrow 11 Vermont hospitals will be working with the Health Department and Emergency Management to test their ability to respond to an influenza pandemic.