Energy Fair Cancelled By SUNY

By MARTHA ELLEN

Johnson News Service

CANTON - The North Country Sustainable Energy Fair won't take place this year, a victim of the loss of its sponsoring agency and insufficient time for SUNY Canton to organize as the replacement for Community Energy Services.

CES had coordinated the annual event for years, but dissolved in December after it lost a $150,000 contract with the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority. As host of the event and with a four-year degree program in alternative and renewable energy systems, SUNY Canton had hoped to take up the flag.

"It goes well with a lot of the things the college is doing. Given the short notice and the changes that have taken place over the last few months, we weren't able to do it," Director of Public Relations Randy B. Sieminski said. "The more we got into it, the more we realized that. We didn't want to throw something together that didn't do it justice."

However, the energy fair likely will return to the college the following year, and the college also may coordinate the green building tour that often was tied to the energy fair.

"It's something we're definitely going to look at," Mr. Sieminski said.

The Youth Energy and Environmental Expo, a competition for students through grade 12, will still take place April 7 at the school. SUNY Canton also is sponsoring a two-day solid fuels/grass pellets symposium beginning Sept. 25.

"I think there's room to have both events in the future," Mr. Sieminski said.