Amid growing concerns about climate change and U.S. dependence on foreign energy, leaders from industry, government and science gathered at Cornell June 24-26 for the 2007 New York Renewable Energy Summit, the third annual conference focused on renewable energy research and business development across the state.

In three days of presentations and seminars, the 120 participants got updates on the latest research in renewable energy -- from hydrogen-producing microorganisms and ethanol production to wind and solar power. They also considered renewable energy from a business perspective, with discussions on economic development in New York state, the potential costs and benefits of alternative energy strategies, and ways to engage the public in the effort.

It was a broad range of topics. But that was the point.

"It's important to get people from different parts of the renewable energy community to communicate, to brainstorm, to organize," said Larry Walker, professor of biological and environmental engineering at Cornell and organizer of the summit. "This conference brings the shakers and movers from around New York state to discuss regional activities."

While national attention is focused on corn-based ethanol production in the Midwest, he added, "the Midwest is not the only player in biofuels." And addressing global climate and energy issues will require a much wider variety of solutions, each tailored to regional and local needs, he said.

"I have a strong belief that we're going to have a diversified energy future," he said. "We have to have all the options on the table."

Antonio Bento, associate professor of applied economics and management at Cornell, spoke on the costs and benefits of biofuels, noting that steep production costs could outweigh the benefits. Instead, Bento suggested time and funding would be better spent developing other technologies.

Among the speakers on wind and solar energy, Carol Murphy, executive director for the Alliance for Clean Energy New York, Inc.,discussed ways of addressing homeowners' concerns around new projects. "There's no free lunch when it comes to energy," she said. "We all want to use it, we all want the lights to stay on -- but we don't really know where it comes from until there is a plan to be sited in our community."

But there are plenty of benefits for the region, she added, including new high-paying jobs in engineering and construction and a greater sense of energy independence. "New York is the 15th windiest state," she said. "This is very important. This is economic development."

Conservation, many speakers agreed, is also crucial.

"We are in the midst of an energy revolution," said Terry Brown, president of O'Brien & Gere, an international engineering and project delivery company. "If we can reduce our energy use by 20 to 25 percent, the impact on the economy as a nation would be huge."

W.S. "Lanny" Joyce, a manager in the Utilities and Energy Management Department at Cornell, spoke about the university's recent conservation initiatives -- including the combined heat and power project, which boosts efficiency at the university's generating plant from between 35 and 50 percent to about 80 percent.

As New York's land-grant university, Walker said at the meeting's close, Cornell has a responsibility to stay at the forefront of renewable energy research.

"Energy conservation has to be first and foremost," he said. Beyond that, "we need to have a portfolio of science and technology. It's clear from the discussions that you have to bring a systems perspective.

"Think globally; act locally," he added (with a nod to author René Dubos). "This meeting is about doing that."

Chronicle writer intern Julia Langer '08 contributed reporting to this story.