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With Week To Go,

Energy Summit Fills

125 Of Its 200 Seats

Seeking ‘Balanced Agenda,’ 19 Speakers

Planned; Day Expands From 6 To 9 Hours

COOPERSTOWN – With a week to go, 125 people have already signed up for the Otsego County Chamber’s “Energy Summit: Infrastructure & Economy,” and the day has expanded from the original six hours to a nine-hour program to accommodate a growing roster of speakers.

Planned Thursday, Jan. 31, at The Otesaga, the summit will be able to accommodate about 200 people.   To register, call 432-4500, extension 104, or email karen@otsegocc.com.

After announcing the original concept, the phone started ringing with suggested speakers, Chamber President Barbara Ann Heegan said in an interview a few minutes ago, and she kept adding speakers to ensure “a balanced agenda.”

Some, like Cornell Professor Anthony Ingraffea, who published a study concluding natural gas is more of a contributor to global warming than oil, get a half-hour.  Others, like Mike Zagata, the former DEC commissioner in the Pataki Administration who argues for separating “symbolism from substance” in combatting global warming, get 15 minutes.  Both are Ph.Ds.

In all, there will be 19 speakers, including Lou Allstadt of Cooperstown, the retired Mobil executive vice president.

The keynoter at the luncheon is Jay Egg of Geothermal, speaking on “Geothermal Technology: Effective Real-World Solutions for New York.”

Heegan said she and the chamber’s board chairman, Al Rubin, will introduce speakers, and time will be given at the end of the presentations for one or two questions, time permitting.  At day’s end, there will be an hour set aside for “networking, dialogue and exchanging ideas,” Heegan said.