For Immediate Release: June 20, 2007

Contact: Kathryn Seck (Kerry), 202-224-9431
David Snepp (Snowe), 202-224-1304 or Rachel Irwin, 202-224-7417

Kerry, Snowe Bill Helps Small Businesses Increase Energy Efficiency

WASHINGTON – As the Senate debates a comprehensive energy bill, today Senators John Kerry (D-Mass.) and Olympia J. Snowe (R-Maine) introduced legislation to press the Bush Administration to take action to help small businesses increase their energy efficiency. The bipartisan bill also holds the Bush Administration accountable for failing to implement an energy efficiency assistance program enacted into law in 2005 and provides tools that will help small businesses reduce their dependency on fossil fuels. In March, the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship held a hearing that revealed the federal government needs to play a more aggressive role in assisting small businesses in becoming more energy efficient.

“Improving energy efficiency isn’t just good for the environment, it’s good for the bottom line,” said Kerry, Chairman of the Committee. “Many small businesses want to be part of the solution to addressing climate change -- one of our generation’s greatest challenges. But we need leadership from this Administration to promote and provide resources to help small firms that want to take the next step and reduce their energy use and costs. I am working to get provisions passed in the energy bill that will help small businesses achieve this goal.”

“As the Ranking Republican on the Small Business Committee and as a longstanding steward of the environment, I firmly believe that small businesses have a pivotal role to play in forging a solution to global climate change and rising energy prices,” said Senator Snowe. “According to a recent survey conducted by the National Small Business Association, 75 percent of small businesses believe that energy efficiency can make a significant contribution to reducing greenhouse gas emissions. And yet, only 33 percent of those respondents had successfully invested in energy efficiency programs for their businesses. Our measure will help to incentivize small businesses to make a smaller carbon ‘footprint .’”

The Kerry-Snowe bill:

· Requires the Small Business Administration (SBA) to implement within 90 days an energy efficiency program that was mandated in the 2005 Energy Policy Act;

· Establishes an audit program to increase energy efficiency using Small Business Development Centers (SBDCs);

· Promotes financing agreements between small businesses and utility companies to increase energy efficiency;

· Creates a telecommuting pilot program at the SBA responsible for educational materials and outreach to small businesses on the benefits of telecommuting;

· Allows small businesses conducting energy efficiency or renewable energy research and development to be given priority consideration in the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs; and

· Establishes loans for small firms to invest in use of renewable sources of energy in their business.

In April, Kerry and Snowe wrote to the Environmental Protection Agency seeking details on the Bush Administration’s progress in implementing the Energy Star Small Business Program and to the Small Business Administration asking for information about how the agency has implemented the energy efficiency program mandated by the Energy Policy Act of 2005.

###