The Department of Energy's role in green technologies is to support basic research into climate change and environmental degradation. It doesn't offer a great deal for a small business owner, unless the small business owner is involved in alternative technologies research and development.
If you are involved in such research or want to become involved, the best place to start is by contacting an office within the Department of Energy called the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE). EERE's goal is to enhance energy efficiency and to bring clean, reliable, and affordable energy technologies to the marketplace. One of the ways it does so is by partnering with private companies that are involved in the latest green technologies.
Other than the energy development public-private partnerships, the Department of Energy's principal connection with small businesses is its co-sponsorship of the ENERGY STAR program. ENERGY STAR, described in greater detail in the EPA discussion, is a joint effort begun in 1992 between the Department of Energy and the EPA to identify energy-efficient products and to encourage businesses and consumers to use them.
For more on government resources, see: