** U.S. gasoline stockpiles have jumped to the highest in three-months, while a measure of demand fell to a three-month low, according to a government report published Wednesday.

** The U.S. Energy Information Administration forecasted West Texas Intermediate crude prices for the rest of the year will be at an average of $61.85 a barrel, up 5% from the May forecast. The EIA said Brent crude is expected to average $65.19, up 4.7% from the previous forecasts.

** Ford gets 100,000 F-150 Lightning pre-orders in three weeks. The orders came after the electric vehicle was officially unveiled for commercial and retail customers.

** A new analysis finds the outlook for electric vehicle deployment is “getting much brighter,” but it’s off pace for meeting aggressive midcentury targets for cutting carbon emissions from transportation.

** Exxon Mobil Corp’s oil wells in part of a marquee U.S. shale field generated fewer barrels per well as it ramped up overall spending and production, according to a new report that looks at data from 2018-2019.

** Negotiators for the United Steelworkers union (USW) and Exxon Mobil Corp will meet this week for the first time since a May 1 lockout of Beaumont, Texas, refinery workers.

** It’s no secret the COVID-19 pandemic gave the RV industry a major boost in sales during 2020. Popularity was so high, RV maker Thor Industries now has a $14.32 billion order backlog, the company said in its 2021 third-quarter earnings report this week.

** Talos Energy Inc. announced the successful drilling results on its Tornado 3 sidetrack well located in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico. The Tornado field is situated nearly three miles south of the Phoenix complex, which the company acquired in 2013.

** Royal Dutch Shell will seek ways to accelerate its energy transition strategy and deepen carbon emission cuts following a landmark Dutch court ruling last month, CEO Ben van Beurden said on Wednesday, a move that will likely lead to a dramatic shrinking of its oil and gas business reported Reuters.

** U.S. private equity firm EIG Global Energy Partners  inaugurated Latin America’s first thermal solar plant this week, a project in Chile’s Atacama desert that the South American nation hopes will smooth its path to a low-carbon future.

** New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said in a speech Wednesday that the climate crisis was a matter of “life or death,” as a blueprint for meeting her government’s ambitious green targets was unveiled.

** Displaying high confidence in the U.S. solar industry in general and northwest Ohio specifically, solar panel maker First Solar Inc. said it will invest $680 million to build a third factory in the Toledo area by 2023, doubling its production capacity and creating 500 jobs.

** Houston-based Ranger Energy announced Thursday that CEO Darron Anderson is leaving the company after leading the firm for the past four years. The board is searching for a new CEO and named board chairman Bill Austin as interim CEO.

**  Mississippi approves its first wind farm to be built on 13,000 acres and consist of up to 100 turbines.