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Toyota Expands Production of Hybrid Cars as Fuel Prices Climb

Toyota Motor Corp. , the first maker of cars powered by gasoline-electric engines, said it has expanded production of the Prius sedans, taking advantage of surging oil prices that boosted sales of fuel-efficient vehicles. Toyota in April increased the production of the so-called hybrid cars in central Japan's Aichi prefecture to 10,000 units a month from 7,500 a month, spokesman Shigeru Hayakawa said in Tokyo. Asia's biggest carmaker can now make as many as 130,000 Prius a year with overtime, 44 percent more than the earlier production target, Hayakawa said. The average U. S. retail price for regular-grade gasoline has risen 39 percent this year to $2. 051 a gallon. That has bolstered sales of the Prius, which can go as far as 55 miles on a gallon of gasoline. Toyota's Prius sales more than doubled to in the first four months to 37,396 units due to demand in the U. S. and in Japan. “The hybrid engine is the key technology for environmentally-friendly cars,'' Toyota President Fujio Cho said. The automaker, which sells its technology to rival Nissan Motor Co. is “open to cooperation with other companies that want to use the technology if it makes business sense,'' he […]

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GE Energy Enters Indian Wind Power Market

Marking its first wind turbine project in India, GE Energy is supplying 18 GE 1.5-megawatt units for the Nuziveedu Seeds Ltd. Wind Power Project. With construction being executed in three phases in Karnataka State, South India, the project will total 27 megawatts when completed by the end of this year. Project Phase I is currently under construction at a site northwest of Bangalore, the capital of Karnataka State. Commissioning of this project is planned by May 2004. Phases 2 and 3 will be commissioned by December 2004. Each phase will feature six GE 1.5-megawatt wind turbines – the first installations of 1.5-megawatt machines in the State of Karnataka. The project owner, Nuziveedu Seeds Limited (NSL) of Hyderabad, India, is a leading hybrid seeds business. The company also owns wind power projects totaling 18.65 megawatts of capacity. The interest of private investors and developers in setting up commercial wind projects, combined with federal and state renewable energy initiatives, have been key factors in the growth of the wind industry in India. At the beginning of 2004, India's installed wind capacity was 2,120 megawatts, by far the largest total of any Asian country. China, an emerging wind power market, was second with […]

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Florida Hydrogen Initiative Seeks Proposals

The Florida Hydrogen Initiative, Inc. today announced the opening of a solicitation for Letters of Interest from parties interested in pursuing hydrogen energy related research and demonstration projects within Florida. The Florida Hydrogen Initiative, Inc. (FHI) is a nonprofit organization fostered by the leadership of Congressman Dave Weldon that seeks to move Florida to the forefront of the nation's hydrogen economy. The FHI will use its resources to aid the development of a vigorous Florida-based hydrogen industry. The nonprofit corporation is comprised of public leaders, university researchers, citizens, and industry representatives. The Florida Hydrogen Initiative seeks to develop Florida's hydrogen infrastructure by: Brokering partnerships for applied technology demonstration projects throughout the state; Sponsoring targeted research in the production, storage and use of hydrogen fuels; Facilitating technology transfers between the public and private sectors to create, build and strengthen high-growth, high technology companies. In 2004, FHI will receive approximately $2 million from the U.S. Department of Energy for hydrogen projects in Florida. In March 2004, the Florida Hydrogen Initiative requested and received letters of interest to identify partners for projects that support programmatic interests. In an effort to expand the pool of possible projects, FHI is re-opening this solicitation for Letters […]

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New Mexico: Boost for Hydrogen Economy

Efforts to promote hydrogen and other "clean" energy industries throughout New Mexico got a boost Thursday. Gov. Bill Richardson's signature on House Bill 251, the Advanced Technologies Economic Development Act, earmarks $200,000 for the marketing and promotion of the state's hydrogen assets to attract businesses engaged in hydrogen research. The measure also creates a $500,000 fund to make grants to state agencies, schools, pueblos and other organizations that want to develop clean energy programs. The $200,000 "will be used to increase visibility, create marketing plans and suggest more initiatives and incentives that can be done to increase the hydrogen fuel cell economy in New Mexico," says Mike Orshan, director of the Science and Technology Office of the state's Economic Development Department. That department will work with HyTeP, or the Hydrogen Technology Partnership, a year-old industry-promoting partnership of lab researchers, companies and state government officials; and the Hydrogen Business Council, a group of businesses from New Mexico and other states aimed at supporting HyTeP's mission. The state began its efforts to attract hydrogen-related businesses last year after President Bush proposed a $1.7 billion initiative to fund research into what some say could be a "clean" alternative to burning fossil fuels. Considerable […]

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Junk Food One-Third of US Diet

URL: http://www.planetark.com/dailynewsstory.cfm/newsid/25363/story.htm Website: http://www.planetark.com/dailynewsstory.cfm/newsid/25363/story.htm     

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