State of New York announces alternative fuel research center

The state of New York is planning to build a research and development center to investigate fuel saving concepts such as plug-in hybrids. The R&D facility will be built 20 miles north of Albany, in the Saratoga Technology + Energy Park, and should be operational in 2008. A high-technology Canadian battery manufacturer is the first private company to join the center and Hudson Valley Community College in Troy will provide employee training. The center will focus on new technologies to conserve energy, reduce emissions, and reduce dependence on petroleum of diesel buses and trucks.
It seems to energy conservation day for Gov. George Pataki, since he also announced that the state of New York will be spending $10 million to convert 600 state vehicles to plug-in hybrid vehicles. To finish things off, he announced the investment of $87 million by Empire Biofuels to build an ethanol refining company at the former Seneca Army Depot. The refinery will produce 50 million gallons of corn-based ethanol and create 60 jobs.

[Source: Newsday]