John Kerry: “I thank Senator Bingaman for offering an amendment for me and Senator Landrieu to the energy bill regarding small…”

“I thank Senator Bingaman for offering an amendment for me and Senator Landrieu to the energy bill regarding small business and energy efficiency. Quite simply, this amendment says that as the Department of Energy and the Department of Environmental Protection work together to raise public awareness of the Energy Star Program, they must make a special effort to reach out to small business. What is the Energy Star Program? It is an initiative that identifies and promotes energy-efficient products and buildings in order to reduce energy consumption, improve energy security, and reduce pollution. Because small businesses have little time and few resources to learn about options for energy efficiency, within Energy Star there is a voluntary and free program for small businesses that enables owners to calculate the costs of energy efficiency upgrades, estimate payback periods and explore providers of products, services, and financing. It only makes sense to focus on small businesses. America's 25 million small businesses make up half the economy and, according to a report by E SOURCE, entitled 'The Forgotten Majority: Small Business, Hidden Opportunities,' small businesses account for more than half of all the commercial energy used in North America. Small businesses represent significant buying power for energy efficient technologies, many of which are developed and manufactured by small businesses.”