Empire Natural Gas hosts Business After Hours

GREENE – Members of the Greater Greene Chamber of Commerce had a unique opportunity recently to learn more about what may be Chenango County’s best-kept business secret.

The object of their interest was the host of this month’s Business After Hours: Empire Natural Gas. ENG’s immaculate, yet unassuming location just a few yards from the grass landing strip at Greene Airport might fool some, but the business, operated with five, full-time staff members out of the home of owners, Marcel and Colleen Barrows, is an important player in the energy supply market.

According to Senior Account Manager Joanne Young, the 19-year-old company supplies deregulated natural gas and electricity to non-residential customers. “Due to changes in government regulations, customers are able to purchase from energy suppliers like ourselves rather than utilities,” said Young, who acted as a tour guide during the event.

Of course, it’s a little more complicated than that. ENG’s first step is to forecast the daily energy usage of their customers. Then they purchase the amount needed to meet that demand.

Much of the natural gas they purchase is from distant locations in Canada and the Gulf of Mexico, but now that the commodity is available closer to home, they have begun to use local suppliers as well.

“We do purchase from Nornew in Norwich and Fortuna in Horseheads,” said Accounts Control Administrator Alicia Hufnagle.

The company pays for the natural gas and electricity they purchase, store and distribute through existing infrastructure. It is transported through existing natural gas pipelines and electric power lines to the local utility’s city gate. From there it is distributed by the utility to the commercial customer.