Broome County residents are petitioning against the creation of the newly announced Office of Energy Development. Broome County executive Debbie Preston announced the creation of the office back in January, and it has been running on temporary funds from Preston’s budget until the legislature approves it. Some activists in Broome County say that the office duplicates services that are already available in the county, and believe that the true purpose for its creation is to promote hydrofacking. On Tuesday, Preston’s office was presented with a petition with over 200 signatures in opposition of the Office of Energy Development. The Broome County Legislature was supposed to vote on the office’s creation back in January but legislators held over the vote until this month’s session. Lawmakers will vote on the office’s creation Thursday night.
