A provision in the energy bill signed last month allows the Small Business Administration to offer low-cost loans to small and medium businesses that want to improve their energy and fuel use, notes this article.
It’s a two-year pilot program that will lower fees on business loans for efficiency projects and fund grants for Small Business Development Centers that will give free energy audits and training in efficiency. It also requires the SBA to encourage SMEs to offer telecommuting options.
In an attempt to raise awareness about the Energy Star for Small Business program, Senators Kerry and Snowe sent a letter to EPA chief Stephen Johnson, encouraging his agency to increase the program’s funding.
This program will now allow these small and medium businesses to adopt the same energy efficiency projects that Fortune 500 companies already have in place.