Allegany County, New York

started, and, today, oil production occupies a minor part of Allegany County’s economy. Though oil production is no longer prominent within the county, the production of energy continues in the 21st century in new forms, spurred on by the renewable energy programs at Allegany County’s three institutions of higher learning: Alfred State College, Alfred University, and Houghton College. “As far as renewable energy goes, all three colleges have been pretty active for a number of years,” explains Craig Clark, the County’s Director of Economic Development. “In the 1990s, Alfred State College started doing solar installations programs, and, actually, had a very large NYSERDA (New York State Energy Research and Development Authority) training program that was one of the largest in the state. We have a 100 kW wind turbine installed at the campus and had a 10 kW on a farm, back in the ‘90s.” “Alfred University and Alfred State College have