WASHINGTON-- Senator John Kerry (D-Mass.), Chairman of the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, received an award this week from Small Business California for his efforts to harness the power of America’s small businesses to protect the environment and help curb climate change.

“I am honored to receive this award from Small Business California. More importantly, I want to thank them for all their work on behalf of California’s and America’s entrepreneurs,” said Kerry. “Small Business California’s leadership advocating for energy solutions for small businesses and demonstrating how small businesses can help us win the fight against climate change is changing the dialogue in this country. Although we’re far from the finish line, working together we’ll create a cleaner, greener America.”

Kerry is leading efforts to provide incentives for small businesses to develop green technologies and provide resources to help them become more energy efficient. In March, Kerry chaired a Committee hearing focusing on small business solutions to combat global warming. In June, working with Senator Snowe, Kerry secured amendments to the CLEAN Energy Act (H.R. 6) that help small businesses increase their energy efficiency and hold the Bush Administration accountable for failing to provide tools that will help small businesses reduce their dependence on fossil fuels. Currently, the House and the Senate are negotiating difference in the energy bill.

Senator Olympia Snowe (R-Maine), Ranking Member of the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, and Congresswoman Nydia Velazquez (D-N.Y.), Chair of the House Committee on Small Business, were also recognized by the organization.