In August 2026, the U.S. SBA and the Department of Energy Signed an Agreement to Establish the SBIC-E Program

en.Wedoany.com Reported - The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) on August 24, 2026, in Pennsylvania, establishing the Small Business Investment Company-Energy (SBIC-E) program, aimed at channeling private capital into key technology areas that support U.S. energy production. SBA Administrator Kelly Loeffler and Secretary of Energy Chris Wright jointly signed the agreement, a move seen as a concrete step in advancing the U.S. energy dominance agenda.

The program aligns the SBA's proven investment mechanism under its Small Business Investment Company (SBIC) initiative with strategic priority areas identified by the DOE. The DOE is responsible for identifying critical technologies, energy production, and supply chain needs, while the SBA is responsible for licensing and overseeing the investment funds participating in the program. Currently, the SBIC program's portfolio totals $58 billion. The DOE's priority list covers traditional energy production, infrastructure, and storage; next-generation nuclear power and baseload power systems; advanced materials, metals, and critical minerals; energy system resilience and grid equipment; and specialized supply chain technologies critical to national and economic security.

Loeffler stated at the signing event that the partnership aims to strengthen private sector access to capital and ensure U.S. leadership in fossil fuels, nuclear power, and electricity technologies and infrastructure. She also noted that by aligning SBIC investments with DOE strategic priorities, the program will support producers that deliver affordable energy to households and small businesses across the nation. Wright pointed out that small businesses drive American innovation and affordable, reliable energy access, and that cooperation with the SBA will enable the Department of Energy to direct resources to small businesses that create jobs, strengthen the domestic manufacturing base, and unlock energy production potential.

The SBIC-E program builds on the SBA's existing efforts to promote domestic manufacturing and supply chain independence. The SBA provides a 90% loan guarantee for small businesses along the energy production supply chain. The program also mirrors a similar arrangement the SBA launched earlier this year in partnership with NASA to enable targeted investment in strategic aerospace priorities.

Under the agreement, the DOE's Office of Technology Transitions and the SBA's Office of Investment and Innovation will jointly oversee program implementation. The DOE will periodically review and update the priority list to adapt to changing needs, directing investment toward the technology areas most critical to maintaining a resilient domestic energy supply chain.