Empire State Energy Conference
Nearly 100 fuel marketers and industry suppliers attended the 7th Annual Empire State Energy Conference at the Turning Stone Resort Casino in Verona, New York, Oct. 2-4. The event also featured federal and state legislative updates, business sessions, an opening cocktail reception, tabletop displays, NORA education classes, a networking reception with live entertainment, golf at Shenendoah Golf Course, a silent auction to benefit EMA SBC PAC, and the NORA-led tour of the Renewable Energy program at SUNY Morrisville.
SUNY Morrisville is home to the Agricultural and Clean Energy Technology (ACET) Center, a $16 million facility that features 30,000 square feet dedicated to renewable energy, diesel technology, and agricultural engineering programs. Also, it’s about a 25-minute drive from Turning Stone, the casino resort where the Empire State Energy Association held its annual Energy Conference. So, it made sense to pencil in a visit as part of the program.
Kris DeLair, executive director of ESEA, said that Michael Devine, president of the National Oilheat Research Alliance, and Thomas Butcher, its research director, led fuel retailers on a tour of the facility. The group visited with students in the program, as well as the program’s director, Professor Ben Ballard.
DeLair said she asked Ballard what the students are interested in when they begin the program. Ballard reported that typically the students are interested in solar and wind “because that’s what they hear a lot about,” DeLair said. The program serves to expose the students to renewable liquid fuels. “So, they’re going to come out of that program with a well-rounded knowledge of renewable fuels,” DeLair said, “and I think it’s fantastic that the NORA program is being integrated into that.”
SUNY Morrisville’s renewable energy program is a natural fit with NORA’s education certification program focusing on liquid fuel combustion and technologies, the Alliance said on its website. In partnership with SUNY Morrisville, the NORA curriculum leading to a Bronze certificate is being offered to students in the renewable energy program beginning in the current 2024-2025 academic year. The courses provide students the opportunity to earn a certification, which is recognized across the industry for its focus on energy efficiency and liquid renewable energy technologies. This addition to the SUNY Morrisville curriculum will give students a competitive edge in the rapidly growing renewable energy sector.
NORA and SUNY Morrisville said students gain hands-on experience in various energy sources through biofuels, biomass processing, hydro, solar, wind, and thermal energy labs.
DeLair said of the visit, “We sat in on one of the renewable energy classes.” Devine and Butcher addressed the class, and fuel marketers including Greg Childs of Main-Care Energy and Brandon Smith of Scott Smith & Son met the students. DeLair said of the students, “They’re going to have this vast well-rounded knowledge of all renewable energy sectors which is fantastic. “They come out with degrees and if we have companies hiring them, they can potentially help our members and their companies diversify into other renewable energy sectors, if they so choose.”
The collaboration between NORA and the college extends to an innovative research project aimed at optimizing the performance of renewable liquid fuel storage in cold climates. The project involves installation of a well-insulated and heated tank enclosure at the SUNY Morrisville campus, where the performance of the system will be monitored under various weather conditions. The data collected will be invaluable in developing more effective technologies that can withstand the challenges of harsh winter climates, contributing to the broader adoption of renewable liquid fuels in regions with similar conditions.
SUNY Morrisville is part of the State University of New York system. It offers undergraduate and graduate programs and is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education. It is 30 miles from Syracuse and Utica, and about four hours north of New York City. Initially established as an agricultural and technical school, it has become a technologically advanced college with a rich diversity of bachelor’s and associate degree programs. Notably, SUNY Morrisville offers Bachelor of Technology (B.Tech.) and Associate of Applied Science (A.A.S.) degrees in renewable energy. These degrees encompass all forms of renewables, including biofuels. Given this academic focus, it is clear why SUNY Morrisville is an ideal partner for NORA, which has a long-standing commitment to advancing zero carbon heating. For more information about SUNY Morrisville’s Agricultural and Clean Energy Technology (ACET) Center, visit: https://www.morrisville.edu/facility/agricultural-and-clean-energy-technologyacet-center.
