Washington, DC (January 2, 2008)- Senators John Kerry (D-MA) and Olympia Snowe (R-ME), Chairman and Ranking Member of the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship urged the Bush Administration to invest more resources to help small businesses become more energy efficient and reduce their greenhouse gas emissions.
Although small businesses represent half of the nation’s economy and are responsible for half of the country’s energy consumption, the government spends less than two percent of the Energy Star program’s $50 million annual budget reaching out to help small businesses.
In a letter sent to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), which implements the Energy Star program, the Senators urged the Bush Administration to increase funding for the Energy Star small business program to $2 million a year, in order to provide technical assistance and resources necessary to small businesses.
According to the letter to EPA Administrator Steve Johnson, a recent survey conducted by the National Small Business Association finds 75 percent of small businesses believe that energy efficiency can make a significant contribution to reducing greenhouse gas emissions. At the same time, only 33 percent of those had successfully invested in energy efficiency programs for their businesses.
Related Resources:
Kerry, Snowe Add Small Business Energy Efficiency Provisions to Energy Bill
Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship
Letter to the EPA