CONEG encourages intergovernmental cooperation on issues affecting the economic, social and environmental well-being of the Northeast. CONEG coordinates regional efforts by the Governors and their administrations that benefit the Northeast – through the Governors, the CONEG Program Committees, and the New England Governors/Eastern Canadian Premiers Conference (NEG/ECP).
CONEG coordinates and collaborates with states to provide analytical perspectives on legislation affecting the region. The CONEG staff works with governors’ policy staff and program officials in the states as well as governors’ staff in Washington. In the region, states use CONEG as a forum to share information, learn from each other and identify opportunities for cooperation among the states. In Washington, CONEG assesses and reports on federal issues that affect the region, and communicates the region’s priorities to federal officials and the Congress.
CONEG Committees
CONEG Committees help identify, monitor and advise the governors on regional concerns and policies. The CONEG Advisory Committee, with a member named by each governor, oversees all CONEG activities including policies, correspondence, and program activities. Program committees, composed of senior state agency officials, work with CONEG staff and the Advisory Committee to bring substantive policy and program expertise into the analysis of regional, national and federal issues. Since 1976 CONEG has worked to promote the long-term economic well-being of the Northeast with a focus on policies and programs in transportation, energy, and the environment. Specific initiatives capture current and emerging developments in the region and in the federal government, and reflect the governors’ joint policy goals and priorities. In each of these areas, CONEG seeks to:
- encourage cooperation and effective coordination among transportation, energy and environmental programs that affect the larger region;
- foster effective federal-state partnerships for policies, programs and funding;
- facilitate information-sharing among the member states on state policies and programs;
- identify regional concerns, formulate regional perspectives, develop opportunities for collaborative actions, and carry out regional programs that can benefit the CONEG members; and
- articulate the CONEG governors’ shared regional interests to Congress, the White House and federal agencies.
CONEG Policy Research Center Inc.
The CONEG Policy Research Center, Inc. (Center), a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, is the staff arm to the CONEG Governors. Staff works with the Advisory Committee and other committees to identify regional concerns, formulate regional perspectives, and carry out regional programs on behalf of the governors.