Program provides small firms crucial cash

By Kevin Matthews
Vice President, Energy & Environment Sector

Thanks to $37 million in targeted federal money, small clean-tech businesses will have a chance to succeed despite the state of the nation’s economy.

The Recovery Act funding will be made available to qualified small businesses through the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs, the Department of Energy announced Thursday. The programs target U.S. companies with fewer than 500 employees. Small businesses with strong research capabilities in science or engineering and in specific categories related to improving energy efficiency including:

• Advanced building air conditioning and refrigeration, thermal load shifting, and cool roofs
• Water usage in electric power generation and industrial processes
• Power plant cooling
• Advanced gas turbines and materials
• Sensors, controls, and wireless networks
• Advanced water power technology development
• Smart controllers for smart grid applications
• Advanced solar technologies
• Advanced industrial technologies development
• Advanced manufacturing processes

These programs will make a big difference for small businesses that bring clean technologies to market and are crucial in driving a clean energy economy. Ensuring their success will certainly create jobs, reduce dependence on foreign oil, and reduce carbon pollution. In fact, many new small business start-ups would not have a chance at surviving through the recession without the financial assistance these new programs will provide.

Kevin Matthews is Vice President of the Energy and Environment Sector for NSI, where he runs the day-to-day sector operations and works with clients on sustainable solutions for interfacing with state and local governments.