The State of New York wants to put up a $50 million alternative fuels testing facility in Malta in Upstate New York.
This story from the Albany (NY) Business Review says Gov. David Paterson made the announcement about the lab in a letter to president-elect Barack Obama, asking for $38 million in federal dollars to build it:
In his letter to Obama, Paterson said the lab is a key way “to keep the United States competitive in the field of energy research and development.”
The facility will test light- and heavy-duty vehicles and develop technology to retrofit older vehicles to cut down on their pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. Scientists at the lab will research a variety of fuels, such as hydrogen fuel cells.
Proponents say the lab will benefit the area’s education sector and the area’s energy and transportation sectors.
The article goes on to say that students will be trained to be able to take jobs in the rising renewable energy sector.