LANSING – The Greater Washington D.C. Interfaith Power and Light organization has agreed to serve as the first national partner in the Small Business Association of Michigan’S faith-based Energy Initiative, an aggregated purchasing program for religious congregations.

In 2005, SBAM received a three-year, $150,000 grant from the EPA ENERGY STAR program to replicate the Initiative for congregations in five other states. In addition to GWIPL, at least four additional states are expected to join in the partnership this year. SBAM has worked with several key Michigan-based organizations in the Faith-Based Energy Initiative project, including the Michigan Interfaith Power and Light, Shepherd Advisors and Douglas Black of Enerficiency.

MiIPL Executive Director Charles Morris said aggregated purchasing allows congregations to get deeper discounts on energy and renewable energy products. The result is that congregations can dramatically lower their energy costs while also helping to improve the environment and economy.

?The more money we save with aggregated purchasing for energy, the less money we export to countries that do not value our most basic democratic, cultural and religious beliefs and practices? he said.

Mark Clevey, SBAM Vice President of Entrepreneurial Development and Director of the SBAM Faith-Based Energy Initiative, says that many states respond to rising energy costs by simply raising taxes on energy (through a Public Benefits Charge) in order to subsidize energy costs and related products for certain rate classes.

?In contrast, SBAM and MiIPL use a market-based approach where the power of bulk purchasing is harnessed and applied to energy,? he says. ?If you stop to think about it, most congregations purchase the bulk of their products and services from small businesses. Those on the cutting-edge of energy efficiency and renewable energy are entrepreneurial small businesses. By connecting these dots, we?re not only cutting energy costs for congregations but also stimulating the growth of entrepreneurial small businesses that create most of the new jobs and economic development in the country. This is a win-win for everyone.?

For more information, click on MIIPL.Org