The Globe and Mail reports in its Tuesday, Nov. 14, edition that Exxon Mobil is building a facility in Arkansas to produce lithium. A New York Times dispatch to The Globe reports that the Imperial Oil parent is hedging its big bets on conventional fossil fuels by investing in cleaner forms of energy needed to combat climate change. Exxon is not shifting its fundamental corporate strategy. Rather, it is acknowledging that battery powered vehicles will increasingly compete with cars and trucks fuelled by gasoline and diesel. It could also open the door for southern Arkansas to emerge as a major source of lithium. Most of the metal today comes from Australia and South America, and much of it is processed in China. Exxon's Dan Ammann says: "Electrification is going to be a major component of the energy transition and we bring highly relevant experience to the production of lithium. We see an opportunity to deploy that will be highly profitable." He says the project will "enable the continued reduction of emissions associated with transportation." Exxon says lithium production will begin in 2027, with the goal of producing enough metal to supply more than one million electric vehicles a year by 2030.