[img_assist|nid=30|title=Sen. John Kerry (D-Boston)|desc=|link=none|align=right|width=123|height=180]U.S. Sen. John Kerry (D-Boston) introduced legislation Thursday that will create a grant system for states to help them cope with rising energy costs.

The bill, the "Emergency Energy Response Act of 2008" was presented by Kerry and U.S. Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-Maine), the chairman and ranking member of the Senate Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee. Intending to help states cope with soaring energy costs of heating oil, natural gas and diesel facing consumers and state budgets, the bill will create a grant system so states can develop and implement response plans.

"Every single day, working people face increased economic hardship as energy costs continue to rise," Kerry said in a statement. "Today more than 100,000 Massachusetts households are still struggling to pay their utility bills from last winter and face possible utility shutoffs."

The grants will be dispersed by the Secretary of Energy based a formula that takes into account state population and per capita energy costs. The bill would make $1 billion per year available to states from 2009 to 2013.

"States," Kerry added, "should be empowered to help these homeowners, consumers, and businesses."