In the weeks leading up to last Friday’s crucial House floor vote, scientists and conservationists were far from alone in pushing for comprehensive new energy legislation.

In an open letter to President Obama and members of congress, business leaders from a variety of sectors urged the passage of new measures to cut carbon emissions and institute an economy-stimulating cap-and-trade program.

The letter, which ran as a print ad in major Washington, DC publications, endorsed the American Clean Energy and Security Act as a way to “drive investment into cost-saving, energy-saving technologies” and “create the next wave of jobs in the new energy economy.”

Companies included in the coalition include Nike, Duke Energy, HP, Austin Energy, and National Grid.