May 4, 2016 - This week marks the 53rd annual National Small Business Week, recognizing the contributions of America’s entrepreneurs and small business owners.

According to the Small Business Administration, more than half of Americans either own or work for a small business, creating about two out of every three new American jobs each year.  Yet, by many accounts, small businesses have struggled under this administration’s policies which have effectively encumbered growth during a time when we are still trying to recover from the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression.

“This administration has legislated and regulated from the Oval Office, promoting policies that jeopardize access to low-cost and reliable electricity and forcing small businesses to choose between layoffs or shuttering their doors,” said Laura Sheehan, senior vice president of communications for the American Coalition for Clean Coal Electricity.  “They may say they care about small business, but when policies like EPA’s costly Power Plan are placed front and center, actions speak louder than words.”

According to the National Federation of Independent Businesses, small businesses are unable to adjust prices quickly enough to match rising energy costs without raising consumer prices.  This, coupled with recent analysis from NERA Economic Consulting that shows EPA’s Power Plan will cost consumers and businesses as much as $39 billion a year, portends a potential consumer cost crisis.   

“Small businesses should be focused on growth, not on adjusting their business models so they can pay their electric bills.  The economic impact resulting from the implementation of  a politicized, illegal agenda is damaging and disruptive,” said Sheehan. 

Laura Sheehan