Grants Also Support "Investing in Manufacturing Communities Partnership" Initiative

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced that USDA is seeking applications from qualified organizations to provide technical assistance to rural businesses to help them expand and create jobs. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) remains focused on carrying out its mission, despite a time of significant budget uncertainty. Today's announcement is one part of the Department's efforts to strengthen the rural economy.

The Energy Department today launched a new Buildings Performance Database, the largest free, publicly available database of residential and commercial building energy performance information. Currently, commercial and residential buildings account for approximately 70% of the electricity consumption in the nation. The database strengthens the Department's commitment to provide U.S. industry, state and local governments, and researchers with innovative energy data tools that can help cut energy waste and save money.

The Energy Department has published a new series of protocols for determining savings from energy efficiency upgrades in homes, commercial buildings, and industrial facilities. Using consistent methods to calculate energy savings will improve the credibility and demonstrate the impact of energy efficiency programs that help businesses and families reduce their energy bills.

To highlight President Obama's focus on small businesses as leaders in an economy built to last, Acting Secretary of Energy Daniel Poneman announced that the Energy Department will award 88 grants to small businesses in 28 states to develop clean energy technologies with a strong potential for commercialization and job creation. These awards, totaling over $16 million in investments, will help small businesses with promising ideas that could improve manufacturing processes, boost the efficiency of buildings, reduce reliance on foreign oil, and generate electricity from renewable sources.

New Worldwatch Institute study examines the agricultural sector's impact on global greenhouse gas emissions