** After coming under attack from both environmentalists and investors in the first half of his seven-year tenure at the helm of Exxon Mobil Corp., Darren Woods is on the offensive.
** Sacramento has taken proactive steps to accelerate the phasing out of dirty-fuel-powered vehicles in the city, announcing a plan to ban new gas stations. That should give Californians who are on the fence about buying an electric car a jolt, with traditional gas stations on the way out in favor of more electric charging infrastructure.
** Venture Global LNG Inc., the US liquefied natural gas exporter embroiled in a dispute with several of its customers, is acquiring nine LNG carriers and expanding its sales operations to market their cargoes.
** Swiss rail manufacturer Stadler and the state of California agreed to a $127 million deal in February that will lead to the construction of six additional zero-emission, hydrogen-powered passenger trains.
World
** Brent crude briefly moved above $86 per barrel on Monday for the time since November, before pulling back, as Ukraine stepped up its attacks on Russian energy infrastructure.
** Protesters took to the streets of Cuba on Sunday in a rare outburst of social unrest as a fresh wave of blackouts exacerbated tensions on the cash-strapped island.
** Polish farmers started blocking a key highway near the German border to protest against food imports from Ukraine and the European Union’s climate initiatives regarding agriculture.
** An ambitious plan coming out of Denmark would create so-called “energy islands” in the high seas that will be surrounded by wind turbines to gather abundant, renewable energy. These artificial power waystations allow for groups of hundreds of wind-catchers to be installed far from the coast.
** European natural gas prices extended gains for a fourth day, the longest streak since the end of January, driven by supply cuts from the Freeport LNG facility and attacks on Russian energy infrastructure.
** China’s Longi Green Technology Energy Co., the world’s largest solar manufacturer, is cutting almost one-third of its staff to slash costs in an industry struggling with overcapacity and fierce competition.
** The founder of Vietnamese electric vehicle maker VinFast on Monday launched an EV charging stations company, V-Green, which he said would prioritise supporting VinFast vehicles globally.