Austria announces plan to expand sources of renewable energy.

(From AP Worldstream)

Byline: M.T.M. CHILDS

Austria is launching a project to drastically reduce its dependence on oil and other fossil fuels by next year, government officials said Monday, unveiling a plan to expand sources of renewable energy.

The project, called Masterplan Environmental Technology, will utilize a network of 40 companies, organizations, universities and research institutes working with the government, Environmental Minister Joseph Proell said at a news conference.

The idea, said Proell, is to make Austria an attractive home for environmental technology companies, expand the technology's infrastructure as well as increase …