New England Governors' Conference, Inc. and The New England Council to Examine Prospects for Cost and Supply of Winter Fuels in New England
BOSTON, Aug. 30 /PRNewswire/ -- Massachusetts' Governor Paul Cellucci, Chairman of the New England Governors' Conference, Inc. and James Brett, President and CEO of the New England Council, have announced that their respective organizations will cosponsor a Winter Fuels Outlook Forum at the Federal Reserve Bank Building on Thursday, September 7, 2000. The Forum will be held in the New England Room of the Federal Reserve Bank from 9:30 am to 1:30 pm.
Governor Cellucci and Council President Brett will welcome representatives from the natural gas and petroleum industries, government energy officials, utility regulators, and consumer advocates who have been invited to attend and participate in the forum.
Governor Cellucci noted: ``Price and availability of natural gas and home heating oil are of serious concern to New Englanders as we approach another winter heating season. I am pleased to join with the New England Council to examine the energy situation and determine what can be done to make New England's businesses and citizens less vulnerable to the uncertainties of our region's unpredictable winter weather. I look forward to sharing the invaluable information which will be gained at this forum with my fellow New England governors when we meet later this month in West Springfield, Massachusetts.''
Mr. Brett stated: ``We have organized this forum to assess the prospects for the upcoming winter heating season in New England, with regard to questions both of price and sufficiency of fuel supplies. High fuel prices and/or shortages of supply pose a threat to the health and safety of New Englanders and could have a significantly negative impact on our region's economy. We hope that, as a result of this meeting, government and business leaders can collaborate on the necessary steps to reduce any negative impacts that might result from a typically cold winter, or one which is colder than normal.''
Thursday's forum will feature two panel sessions. The first, which will look at the situation from a national perspective, will be moderated by Henry Lee, Director, Environment and Natural Resources Program at the John F Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University. The second panel will examine issues from a regional perspective and will be moderated by Massachusetts' Department of Telecommunications and Energy Commissioner, W. Robert Keating,
Panel members include:
Roger Cooper, Executive Vice President of Policy and Planning, American Gas Association
Michael DeLuca, Director of Risk Management, ALLEnergy Marketing Company
John Felmy, Vice President for Policy Analysis & Statistics, American Petroleum Institute
Jack Sullivan, President, New England Fuel Institute
Thomas Kiley, President, New England Gas Association
Mark Rodekohr, Director, Energy Market and Contingency Information Division, Energy Information Agency, U.S. Department of Energy
At the conclusion of the two panel sessions, the panel members, state energy officials, state utility regulators and the audience will engage in an open dialogue and question and answer session.
The New England Governors' Conference, Inc., the oldest regional governors' organization in the country, was organized in 1937 and incorporated as a non-partisan, non-profit organization in 1981, to promote New England's economic development, and to assist the region's governors in sharing information and to provide them with a forum where they can discuss, and ultimately resolve, problems and issues which are regional in nature. Massachusetts Governor Paul Cellucci and Connecticut Governor John G. Rowland are the Conference's Chairman and Vice-Chairman, respectively, in the year 2000.
The New England Council, which celebrates its 75th anniversary this year, is the country's oldest regional business organization. It is an alliance of businesses, academic and health institutions and public and private organizations throughout New England formed to promote economic growth and a high quality of life in the New England region.
The Council is dedicated to identifying and supporting federal public policies and articulating the voice of its membership regionally and nationally on important issues facing New England. The New England Council is also committed to working with public and private sector leaders across the region and in Washington through educational programs and forums for information exchange.
There is no registration fee for the Forum. However, due to the high degree of interest in this topic, advance registration is recommended. To register for the Forum or for further information, please contact:
Carolyn O'Connor
The New England Council
tele: (617) 723-4009 ext 22
fax: (617) 723-3943
email: carolynnec@aol.com
Bill Gallagher
New England Governors' Conference, Inc.
tele: (617) 423-6900
fax: (617) 423-7327
email: negc@tiac.net |
