September 15, 2009

Markell to Host Clean Energy Economy Forum with Rendell and Officials from the Obama-Biden Administration

WASHINGTON, D.C.— On Thursday, September 17, U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu will be accompanied by White House Senior Counselor for Manufacturing Policy Ron Bloom and Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Strategy Amanda Dory in Bensalem, Pennsylvania, where they will join Delaware Governor Jack Markell and Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell in hosting a Clean Energy Economy Forum with a diverse group of local and regional stakeholders.  Chu, Bloom, and Dory will continue to lay out President Obama’s vision for a comprehensive energy plan to jump-start the American clean energy sector and create millions of new jobs developing technologies that will cut pollution while producing alternative sources of energy.  Govs. Markell and Rendell will discuss their efforts to protect the environment and grow the economy by making their states leaders in clean energy. The Administration officials and governors will also listen to and answer questions from stakeholders about local and regional energy issues.

The forum is the third in a series of regional Clean Energy Economy Forums with top Administration officials hosted by Governors.  The first two were held in Fort Collins, Colorado, on August 27 and Saginaw, Michigan, on September 2.

The event will be held at Accu-Weld, a family owned business based in Bensalem, PA for nearly three decades. The company is currently producing and manufacturing high-energy efficient windows and doors for the residential home market.  Despite the economic downturn, Accu-Weld recently announced it would save 140 local jobs as a result of new demand in the home weatherization market, and is growing at annual rate of approximately 20 percent.

The forum will be webcast in full at www.delaware.gov and www.pa.gov .

Following the forum, the Administration officials and governors will hold a media availability.

Due to space limitations, forum attendance is by invitation only.