It's hard to believe it's already been over a week since we were all together at Turning Stone!
I want to thank everyone who joined us for the 2026 Empire State Energy Conference. What a great turnout! It was wonderful to see so many familiar faces, welcome some new ones, and spend a couple of days together learning, networking, and sharing plenty of laughs.
The business side of our conference is important. We covered a lot, from legislative and regulatory updates to industry trends, technical training, and connecting with vendors. But just as important is the chance to catch up with old friends, make new connections, and enjoy each other's company. And I think we did a pretty good job of that this year!
A big thank you to all of our conference sponsors! Your generosity and continued support make events like this possible, and we couldn't do it without you.
Thank you as well to our speakers for sharing their knowledge and expertise, our exhibitors for being part of the conference, and everyone who pitched in and helped along the way. I appreciate all of you!
Golf, Rain or Shine!
A special thank you to everyone who participated in our golf outing in support of the ESEA Scholarship Fund Association.
And to those who braved the weather, thank you! Although, let's face it, bad weather seems to be par for the course with this group! At least we can always count on good company and a few laughs, regardless of what Mother Nature has planned.
Thank you to our golf sponsors and everyone who helped support the Scholarship Fund!
EMA SBC PAC Silent Auction
Thank you to everyone who donated prizes to the EMA SBC PAC Silent Auction, and to those who participated in the bidding. We had some great items up for grabs, and I appreciate everyone who helped make the auction a success while supporting our industry's advocacy efforts at the federal level.
ESEA's First Generation NEXT Career Fair - What a Success!
One of the biggest highlights for me this year was ESEA's first Generation NEXT Career Fair, and what a turnout we had!
We welcomed approximately 70 students, along with their instructors, representing eight schools and educational programs from across New York State.
It was great to see the students talking with our members, asking questions, visiting vendor displays, and learning about career opportunities they may not have even known existed.
Moving forward, ESEA's Generation NEXT Career Fair will become an extension of our NORA-funded Generation NEXT Energy Pros program, which Consumer Focus developed several years ago and continues to manage for ESEA and HVOEC. Through the program, they continue to build relationships with schools and instructors, expand participation, and connect students interested in careers in the liquid fuels and energy service industries with companies looking for their next generation of employees.
When we decided to move forward with the Career Fair, bringing Consumer Focus into the planning was a no-brainer. Their experience with Generation NEXT and the relationships they've built made them a natural fit to help us bring this idea to life.
A special thank you to the schools and educational programs that participated:
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Capital Region BOCES
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Dutchess BOCES
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Madison-Oneida BOCES
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Otsego Northern Catskills BOCES
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Remsen Central School District
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SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry
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SUNY Morrisville
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SUNY Sullivan
And to the companies that took time out of their busy schedules to participate and meet with these students:
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Adirondack Energy Products, Inc.
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Bick & Heintz, Inc.
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Buell Fuels / Center State Propane LLC
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Main-Care Energy
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Mirabito Energy Products & Convenience Stores
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Panco Petroleum / Panstar Propane Corp.
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Reinhardt Corp.
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Sun Environmental Corp.
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Upstate Energy
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Wever Petroleum
I also want to recognize Don Farrell, who first brought the idea of holding a Career Fair at our annual conference to the table. Don is always willing to lend a hand, and I appreciate everything he does for ESEA. I'm always willing to have ESEA try something new, and I'm certainly glad we gave this one a shot!
And a special thank you to Brian Peters and Jennifer LeClerc of Consumer Focus for the great job they did helping us pull everything together. Brian's ongoing work with the schools and instructors was instrumental in bringing the students to Turning Stone, and Jennifer's creativity, organization, and attention to detail were top-notch, as always! They put a lot of work into making our first Career Fair a success, and it showed.
Workforce development continues to be a priority for ESEA, and I'm excited to build on what we started this year. I think we have something good going here!
What a Night at the Tin Rooster!
And how about Tuesday night's entertainment?!
The Midnight Embers, featuring our very own Quincy Longacre of Buckeye Energy Services, were absolutely fantastic!
And of course, we can't forget our special guest, ESEA Chairman Brandon Smith of Scott Smith & Son, who joined the band for “Brandy (You're a Fine Girl)”! Who knew we had so much musical talent among our members?!
What a fun night! Thank you to Quincy, Brandon, and the entire band for making it so memorable.
Conference Photos and Videos Coming Soon!
We captured some great moments throughout the conference, so be sure to check out the photos. There are definitely some good ones!
We were also busy filming two videos during the conference, one highlighting the value of ESEA membership and the other focusing on workforce development and the future of our industry.
Thank you to everyone who took time out of their schedules to participate in the interviews and share their experiences. I'm looking forward to seeing the finished videos and sharing them with everyone.
Stay tuned!
Looking Ahead to 2027 - We Want Your Input!
Believe it or not, we're already looking ahead to next year's conference!
We're close to finalizing plans to hold the 2027 Empire State Energy Conference jointly with the New York Propane Gas Association (NYPGA) in September 2027. We're excited about bringing our two associations together and the opportunities this will create for our members. Stay tuned for more details!
In the meantime, we want to hear from you!
What did you enjoy most about this year's conference? What would you like to see more of? Are there topics, speakers, training opportunities, or activities you'd like us to consider?
We've put together a quick five-question survey, and I'd appreciate it if you could take a couple of minutes to share your thoughts.
TAKE OUR CONFERENCE SURVEY:
Whether you've attended for years or this was your first conference, your feedback matters. We want to keep improving and growing this event while making sure we're offering something valuable to you and your business.
And if you weren't able to join us this year, we hope to see you at the next one!
Click Here for Conference Survey!
A Final Thank You
I know I say it often, but ESEA is only as strong as its members. I appreciate everyone who takes the time to get involved, whether it's attending an event, serving on our board, helping with an initiative, sharing an idea, or simply being there when I need advice.
I've been fortunate to get to know so many wonderful people through ESEA, and I value the friendships just as much as the working relationships.
At the end of the day, it's the people who make this association what it is, and I wouldn't have it any other way.
Thanks again for a great conference. I'm already looking forward to the next one!
Kris DeLair
Executive Director
