SUNY Hosts Energy & Sustainability Summit

Saratoga Springs – The State University of New York today hosts an energy and sustainability summit, which will explore the nexus of energy, environment, economic development and education.

In addition, the conference will serve to advance the recommendations contained in the SUNY Energy Task Force report, which addresses management and planning, transformational opportunities in teaching, curriculum and research, as well as conservation and sustainability for SUNY campuses.

“Environmental sustainability and reduced energy consumption are among our highest priorities,” said First Lady Silda Wall Spitzer.  “By bringing together the public and private sectors to discuss research, development, and education, New York can produce better energy and environmental policies and practices for the benefit of all New Yorkers.  I applaud SUNY, NYSERDA, and DASNY for helping to raise awareness of these critical issues.”

SUNY Interim Chancellor Dr. John B. Clark said: “By taking what we learn in the laboratory about energy sustainability and green-fuel technology, and putting it into practice on our campuses, we can reduce energy consumption and cut green house gas emissions.  SUNY will also develop programs and curriculum to help educate our students about the energy and environmental challenges we face and they, in turn, will become tomorrow’s leaders and problem solvers.”

SUNY Faculty Senate President and Upstate Medical University Professor Carl P. Wiezalis said: “SUNY faculty are focusing research, teaching, and curriculum on meeting the challenges of high energy costs, pollution, climate change and more. SUNY faculty are ready, willing and able to work with the government and the private sector to achieve our goals and to solve our problems.”

In addition to First Lady Silda Wall Spitzer, New York State Energy Research and Development Authority President and CEO Paul D. Tonko and the Dormitory Authority of the State of New York Executive Director David D. Brown are among the featured speakers.  A number of NYSERDA and DASNY staff, as well as business leaders, SUNY faculty, campus presidents and SUNY System Administration staff are also participating in the conference.

NYSERDA President and CEO, Paul D. Tonko said, “Raising awareness about the many energy and environmental challenges we face today will help inspire the faculty and students throughout the SUNY system. We at NYSERDA are pleased to be a part of this Energy and Sustainability Summit and look forward to collaborating with higher education institutions to jump-start Gov. Spitzer’s ‘Innovation Economy,’ which will result in a cleaner environment, advances in on-site generation technologies and the creation of new jobs right here in New York State.”

David D. Brown IV, executive director of the Dormitory Authority of New York State said: “Effective energy planning and environmental stewardship can only be accomplished through collaboration and cooperation. This sustainability conference is a great opportunity to ignite thinking and action on these critical issues. SUNY will play a key role in the success of this process because of its state-wide presence and its vast wealth of intellectual resources.”

Exhibits include an alternate fuel car, go-cart and motorcycle and a table top solar/hydrogen powered home.  More than a dozen SUNY campuses will have displays on residential renewable energy, environmental health and safety orientation, residence hall energy savings, biowaste conversion to bioenergy through gasification, sustainability in art design, teaching energy literacy through high school applied physics and other relevant topics.

The conference will proceed along three parallel tracks: Research and Development, Policy and Practice, and Raising Awareness/Curriculum.

The specific goals of this conference are to:

• Highlight the launch of new SUNY Energy Policy,

• Showcase and promote research in energy and environmental areas by SUNY faculty and students (graduate and undergraduate), including innovations in energy technologies such as biofuels and fuel cells,

• Raise Awareness across SUNY of timely and critical issues involving energy use and its impacts on environment, climate, health, public policy, national security and economics,

• Disseminate information on policy and practice; funding opportunities and technical support through NYSERDA and other public and private agencies, and

• Energize the SUNY community by showcasing Sustainability initiatives in higher education, including innovative curriculum across disciplines, green buildings, student-led initiatives, community outreach and technology transfer.

The summit is being held at the Saratoga Springs Hotel and Conference Center.

The State University of New York is the largest comprehensive university system in the United States, educating more than 417,500 students in 7,669 degree and certificate programs on 64 campuses. To learn more about how SUNY creates opportunity, visit www.suny.edu 

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