Homeowners, which of these consumes more energy in your house: space heating or water heating? Either way, Uncle Sam is ready to help you pay for some energy-efficient upgrades.

The Inflation Reduction Act, signed into law by President Biden a year ago, created two energy-efficiency rebate programs that could pay some, or even all, of the costs of buying Energy Star-rated appliances, adding insulation or otherwise making your home more efficient.

The rub: States will administer the programs, and each one must apply for its share of the $8.8 billion in federal funds earmarked for the rebates. And some states may opt out.

One state has already indicated it probably won’t participate. Lawmakers in Tallahassee voted to apply for Florida’s allocation — which, at roughly $346 million, is the third-largest in the country, behind California and Texas. But Gov. Ron DeSantis vetoed the measure as “woke.” The DoE has not been officially notified, so DeSantis could still change his mind.

  • FancyLad @lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    Here in Florida we like our appliances as inefficient as possible! I only wish I could pay more in utility fees or pollute more to offset the other states involvement in yet another woke conspiracy to save energy! /s

  • Potatos_are_not_friends@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    That’s hilarious.

    Funding for national disaster? “woke”.

    Energy rebates? “Woke”.

    Undercook chicken? “Woke”.

    Overcook chicken, you better believe it. “Woke”.

  • Deuces@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    To be fair, what type of renewable resources could you even use in the sunshine state, or along the windy beaches of Daytona. The state just isn’t a good fit.

  • DoomBot5@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    They don’t need it. They’ll just get new appliances with the insurance money after a hurricane destroyed their last house.

    • kescusay@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      Not gonna be long before that’s impossible. Home insurers are leaving Florida.

      I really want Floridians to roll that around in their minds. The insurance industry - the most craven, most money-hungry industry in existence - is leaving Florida because it’s becoming too risky to insure homes there.

      This is your canary-in-a-coal-mine moment, Florida.

    • Confused_Emus@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      Unsurprisingly, it’s kinda difficult to get flood insurance in Florida, so they’re probably screwed down that avenue. They voted for the fucker, though, so… Karma?

      • SuperIce@lemmy.world
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        1 year ago

        It’s actually difficult to get any form of home insurance in Florida now. Many major insurance companies have left the state because they felt it was too risky.

      • SinningStromgald@lemmy.world
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        1 year ago

        Flood insurance is provided by the NFIP, mostly, which is a federally run program by FEMA. The cost may be prohibitive in some areas due to the frequency of flooding unless mitigated but they will write anywhere.

        That said communities can choose to not participate in the NFIP and as such flood insurance with the NFIP will be unavailable. (Maybe this is what you are referring to?) There are also some coverage limitations as far as maximum amounts, $250k building & $100k contents, they will cover that can require you to seek excess flood insurance from private companies.

        There are private flood insurance companies as well but nearly everyone gets at least the first layer of coverage from the NFIP and uses private companies for excess.

        • DarthBueller@lemmy.world
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          1 year ago

          I.e., taxpayers nationwide have their income tax dollars diverted so that people can have their homes rebuilt indefinitely on a glorified sandbar in a known high risk hurricane area.

        • Confused_Emus@lemmy.world
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          1 year ago

          Excellent info. Note I said it was difficult to get, not impossible. I’m including prohibitive costs in that difficulty since, if you can’t pay for it, it’s as good as not being available anyway.

  • Red_October@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    Honestly if Florida does opt out the Biden admin could absolutely score big on PR.

    Open: A children’s birthday party, a bunch of kids milling around, each wearing a shirt with a state flag. Florida flag kid is throwing a tantrum. The Florida child has Ron DeSantis’ face shittily deepfaked onto a child’s body. Florida: [screaming] “THERE’S NO CAKE”

    Parent enters the scene carrying a big cake. “Alright everyone! The cake is here!”

    [Other children all happily get cake and start eating.]

    Florida: [Still screaming] “I WANT CAKE!”

    Parent: “Here you go Florida, here’s your cake!”

    Florida: “NO! Not THAT Cake! Not YOUR Cake! I WANT CAKE!” [Florida begins to throw a full on kicking and screaming tantrum, screaming at the other kids who are enjoying their cake about how he wants cake but not that cake.]

    Parent to Camera: "Under the Biden Administration’s Inflation Reduction act, Florida is eligible for more than $350 Million in energy efficiency incentives. That’s money that would be easing consumer’s financial troubles in this difficult time, but Governor Ron DeSantis refuses to allow it. Florida is the only state that won’t get their fair share, because Governor DeSantis thinks it’s more important to make a scene than it is to make a difference.

    • Blackmist@feddit.uk
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      1 year ago

      See, you’re thinking about this from the point of view of a rational person. The type of person who reads an article in a science journal and goes “oh, that’s interesting”.

      You’re dealing with people who think that microchips can go into a liquid vaccine, that Jews are setting America on fire with space lasers, and that Dems eat babies. You’re not dealing with normal people.

      • meyotch@slrpnk.net
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        It’s the normal people that worry me more than the crazy fringe. Extremists come to power with the implicit consent of the political middle. Frankly, I see a centrist as a bigger threat (and opportunity to change a mind) than an anti-woke nutjob.

      • AngryCommieKender@lemmy.world
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        1 year ago

        I had always assumed the microchip thing was silly just because of the scale issue. Totally forgot that vaccines have water in them, because of course they do, we are like 80% water anyway, a little more wont hurt us.

  • CharlesDarwin@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    Is this more petro-masculinity?

    I think for most of the rabid right wing, declaring something is “woke” is akin to calling someone a “p—y” or “g-y” or something else that is considered emasculating.

    • notatoad@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      america is already a democracy. if they wanted different leaders, they could elect some.

      the problem is that they don’t want different leaders. the leaders aren’t the only bigoted fucks.

    • gitstash@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      That’s the difference between saying stupid shit about how it’s all wind power’s fault to the cameras and then not actually doing anything about it, and actually doing something about it.