WASHINGTON – The U.S. Small Business Administration today issued the following statement by SBA Administrator Karen Mills on the announcement today by President Barack Obama of a $96 million Recovery Act Smart Grid Investment Grant for Central Maine Power:
“The announcement by President Obama today of $96 million for Central Maine Power to install smart meters and help update Maine’s power grid is good news for our state and our small businesses. Not only will this investment in our state’s energy grid lead to greater cost controls for consumers, but it also lays the foundation for future job creation. Critical infrastructure like these meters is a step toward modernization of our energy grid that will help attract and grow small businesses who will create good-paying jobs. It will also accelerate the development of renewable energy technologies – some of the most innovative of which are being developed by entrepreneurs and small business owners right here in Maine.”
The $96 million for Central Maine Power is one of $3.4 billion in Smart Grid Investment Grants announced by President Obama today. The grant awards are part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and represent the largest single energy grid modernization investment in the nation’s history.
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