WILMINGTON, DE – U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Assistant Secretary for Policy and International Affairs Karen Harbert today traveled to Delaware, to highlight President Bush’s recently announced American Competitiveness Initiative (ACI) and the positive impacts research and development of new technologies will have on strengthening America’s energy and economic security.  Assistant Secretary Harbert also touted the 138,000 jobs created nationwide last month and that Delaware’s unemployment rate of 3.3 percent is the lowest rate the state has seen in two decades.    

 

Assistant Secretary Harbert toured the DuPont Experimental Station today and at the University of Delaware participated in a roundtable discussion with scientists at the Engineering and Energy and Environmental Policy Center and toured the High Performance Solar Cell Laboratory.

 

“Through research and entrepreneurship, Delaware’s businesses and academic institutions are poised to help America’s energy security while providing consumers with clean and affordable bio-based fuels,” Assistant Secretary Harbert said.  “The President’s energy policies support the development of energy technologies to make them practical and affordable options for consumers.  By diversifying our nation’s energy supply, we can continue to strengthen our nation’s energy security.”   

 

During today’s visits to the DuPont Experimental Station and the University of Delaware, Assistant Secretary Harbert highlighted ways industry and government can contribute to the success of the ACI through continued emphasis on research and development of new technologies.  Additionally, she discussed Delaware’s contribution to the Advanced Energy Initiative, also announced by President Bush in his 2006 State of the Union address.  Together, this initiative and the ACI will continue to promote America’s economic vitality through the development of alternative energy sources and will provide our next generation of scientists and researchers with the educational foundation necessary to compete in the 21 ^st century.

 

While in Delaware, Assistant Secretary Harbert also touted the nation’s strong economy, underscored by new unemployment figures released today.  The unemployment rate of 4.7 percent is lower than the average rate for the 1960s, 1970s, the 1980s and the 1990s.  Moreover, new jobs are being created for American workers.  The economy has created 5.2 million jobs since August 2003, and about 2 million of those were created over the past 12 months.  America has experienced five straight years of growth in productivity, and per capita personal income continues to rise.  These figures indicate that the American economy is strong by almost any measure. 

 

DuPont Experimental Station was one of the first industrial research laboratories in the U.S.  The 150-acre campus-style Experimental Station in Wilmington, DE, serves as the primary research and development facility for DuPont. 

 

The University of Delaware’s Center for Energy and Environmental Policy is a leading institution for interdisciplinary graduate education, research, and advocacy in energy and environmental policy. The University also leads a consortium that has received prestigious awards in solar research to develop and produce Very High Efficiency Solar Cell prototypes that are affordable and operate more efficiently than those available commercially today.