** Ford Motor Co said on Tuesday that it will nearly double annual production capacity for its red-hot F-150 Lightning electric pickup to 150,000 vehicles as the model has already attracted nearly 200,000 reservations ahead of its arrival this spring at U.S. dealers.
** Xcel Energy says it found no evidence that downed power lines caused the Boulder County, Colorado, wildfire that engulfed more than 1,000 buildings in drought-parched grasslands at the base of the Rocky Mountains.
** Tesla Inc. delivered 308,600 vehicles worldwide in the fourth quarter, smashing the previous record for the electric-car maker and setting a capstone on a year in which the company joined the exclusive $1 trillion market valuation club.
** Some Iowa landowners are teaming up with the Sierra Club in opposition of a proposed cross-state carbon dioxide pipeline.
** New York Gov. Kathy Hochul signs a bill requiring most electric and gas utilities to detail top executives’ compensation over $125,000.
World
** Electric cars made up nearly two thirds of Norway’s new sales in 2021, with Tesla the top selling automobile brand overall, as the country pursues its goal of becoming the first to end the sale of petrol and diesel cars.
** European gas prices soared more than 30% on Tuesday as low supplies from Russia reignited concerns about an energy crunch as the region heads for colder weather.
** China slashed its fuel export quota by more than half in the first batch of allocations for 2022, highlighting the nation’s strategy of progressively limiting overseas sales.
** Sri Lanka has agreed with India to jointly redevelop a strategic oil terminal consisting of nearly 100 large oil tanks, Energy Minister Udaya Gammanpila said Tuesday.
