The Offshore Wind Innovation Hub in New York, led by Equinor, NYU’s Urban Future Lab, and NOWRDC, has launched its third call for applications. The program, open until March 21, 2025, offers a six-month accelerator residency to support startups in developing and commercializing offshore wind technologies.

Selected companies will receive mentorship from Equinor, industry guidance from NOWRDC, and funding support from NYSERDA, with a public pitch event determining the next cohort. The initiative aims to drive innovation in clean energy and strengthen New York’s offshore wind sector.

Photo Credit: offshorewindnyc

Renault's low-cost brand, Dacia, is set to expand its electric vehicle (EV) lineup, starting with a fully electric version of its Sandero model by the end of 2027, according to CEO Denis Le Vot. Currently, Dacia offers only one all-electric model, the Spring, but its affordable pricing positions the brand as a strong competitor against the growing presence of Chinese automakers in the European market.

The Sandero, which was Europe's best-selling car last year, will lead the charge with its "full electric solution," highlighting Dacia's commitment to combining affordability with electrification.

This move reflects Dacia’s strategy to maintain its competitive edge in a market increasingly shaped by sustainable mobility trends and intensifying competition.

The Houston Auto Show and Houston Boat Show (Houston AutoBoative) are back at NRG Center from January 2 to February 2, now part of the newly launched Automotive Experience Alliance (AEA). This coalition of 30 auto shows aims to drive innovation and set industry standards.

This year’s event features test drives of the latest electric vehicles, attractions like NASA space rovers, and a showcase of top brands including Rolls Royce, Toyota, Bugatti, and more. Sponsored by clean energy coalition Evolve Houston, the event highlights sustainability efforts to promote electric vehicle adoption in the city.

Microsoft has introduced Copilot Chat, a new pay-as-you-go AI assistant designed to make generative AI more accessible for businesses. This offering provides an alternative to the $30-per-month Microsoft 365 Copilot plan, allowing companies to experiment with AI tools without committing to a fixed subscription. Copilot Chat offers core features such as web data retrieval, document summarization, and AI task agent creation. Advanced functionalities, including Teams call summaries and PowerPoint generation, remain exclusive to the full subscription.

Avina Clean Hydrogen has reached a key milestone for its large-scale clean ammonia facility on the Texas Gulf Coast, completing the Front-End Engineering Design (FEED) and Front-End Loading (FEL-3) phases.

The project, designed to produce 800,000 metric tons per annum (MTPA) of clean ammonia, will utilize a blend of blue and electrolytic hydrogen and comply with EU renewable fuel standards. Indian conglomerate Larsen & Toubro (L&T) and U.S. contractor EXCEL led the engineering and constructability efforts, respectively, while KBR contributed the basic engineering design.

Scheduled for operations in 2028, the facility will leverage renewable power, existing pipeline infrastructure, and a long-term water supply agreement. The project is expected to create several hundred high-paying jobs while advancing sustainable energy goals.

Image source: Avina