Sen. Harris McDowell (D-Wilmington North), chairman of the Delaware Senate’s Energy and Transit Committee, is meeting with White House officials today in an effort to advance federal clean energy legislation in Congress.

McDowell, who is also co-chair of Delaware’s Sustainable Energy Utility, is one of 40 state legislators selected in September to serve on a national working group to help address America’s energy policy issues and to strengthen the country’s clean energy economy.

Delaware is one of 24 states to set ambitious targets for utilities to tap renewable energy sources, and Delaware’s Sustainable Energy Utility provides a one-stop resource for energy solutions that save residents and business money, create new jobs, and improve the environment.

The group will meet with White House officials to discuss policies included in the American Clean Energy and Security Act. Their efforts will focus on moving the country toward clean energy solutions that will create jobs and reduce America’s reliance on foreign oil.

“This is an issue of vital importance to all Americans and I’m proud to be a part of this effort," McDowell said. “Sustainable energy is the largest, cheapest, cleanest way to save money and create in-state jobs. I’m looking forward to sharing Delaware’s model with the White House and lawmakers on Capitol Hill.”

Several state and municipal governments are studying Delaware’s comprehensive approach to achieving significant energy and dollar savings, job creation, and improvements to the environment. Delaware is part of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative and to redirect funds generated by carbon emissions pricing to help consumers invest in energy efficiency and renewable efforts.

Earlier this month, Delaware was designated the “most improved” state in an energy efficiency scorecard released by the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy. According to the 2009 State Energy Efficiency Scorecard, each of the 50 states were ranked in six categories to measure their efforts to make the most of energy efficiency as the first, best, and cheapest way to realize savings, meet demand and foster economic growth. Delaware moved up from 32 to 20 since last year’s report, the most improved of any other state.

The state’s Sustainable Energy Utility which launched the Energize Delaware program in September, is a one-stop resource to help Delawareans save money by cutting energy waste and tapping clean energy sources like solar, wind, and geothermal. The SEU has been named by the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers as the “most advanced model for sustainable energy in the US,” and has one of the most ambitious goals in the country for reducing carbon dioxide emissions – as much as 30 percent by 2020.