Crist and Legislature at odds over approving energy rebates many were counting on

Sep 16 - McClatchy-Tribune Regional News - Diane C. Lade and Julie Patel Sun Sentinel, Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

Florida homeowners who spent thousands of dollars on energy-efficient air conditioning units expecting state rebates may be left hanging.

Gov. Charlie Crist is demanding state lawmakers immediately accept $31.5 million in federal stimulus money approved for the Cash for Clunkers program and other energy conservation programs. But Republican leaders of the House and Senate say the money must be approved by the full Legislature, which can't happen until after the Sept. 30 federal deadline for deciding how to use the money.

They slammed Crist for publicizing the air conditioning rebates before the funding had been approved. But Sterling Ivey, Crist's press secretary, defended the decision to launch the program on: "There was no indication the Legislature would not provide the appropriate spending authority needed."

More than 737 consumers already applied for air conditioning rebates, and more than 10,000 home and business owners are on the waiting list for solar rebates.

Homeowners like Alisha Alcorn and her fiance were confused when they heard that the program was "suspended due to no funds." Alcorn said that was the word from a company in Texas that was processing her rebate application. She also saw the state removed from its website a countdown clock showing how much money for rebates was left.

"We don't even know if we have to redo our application," said Alcorn, 28, who installed a new air conditioner in her Fort Lauderdale home the day the program began.

Like other applicants, she paid hundreds of dollars extra for testing, required for the rebate but not part of a routine air conditioning unit replacement. She figured the rebate would make the cost of the testing, around $500, worthwhile. "We don't understand why this was offered [to consumers] before everything was taken care of," she said.

Contractors were equally surprised by the news. "We are telling our members the program is not out of money, which was the first rumor going out," said Cheryl Harris, executive director of the Florida Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Contractors Association. "Secondly, we are telling them it has been suspended, but we are working with our lobbyists to see if we can get it unsuspended."

Harris said she expects to succeed. "It would be so much egg on the face of all the politicians otherwise," she said. "It will look like they all screwed up."

Harris said one contractor she spoke with was angry that the state started the program before the details were finalized. But more were concerned about what to tell customers, she said.

"As far as we were concerned, the money already was there from the federal government. Why wouldn't they want to go ahead with it?" asked Doug Lindstrom, a co-owner of Lindstrom Air Conditioning in Coconut Creek. He said "a few" homeowners canceled their jobs Tuesday.

The $31.5 million from the U.S. Department of Energy includes $17.5 million for rebates for air conditioning units and $13.9 million for the Florida Solar Rebate Program.

The disagreement tying up the rebates is part of an ongoing feud between Florida Republicans and Crist, who left the party to run as independently for the U.S. Senate.

Crist wrote a letter to House and Senate leaders this week saying he's "disappointed" they did not consider approving the money at a state budget commission meeting Tuesday. Ivey said that House and Senate leaders are wrong that a full Legislative vote is required; money has been approved at least twice in similar situations.

The state may miss the federal deadline or it may use the money for other projects. The state is exploring options for committing the money to other projects in case lawmakers don't approve the money, said Ivey.

Other projects may be more popular with some lawmakers. Sen. J.D. Alexander, R-Lake Wales, said the Legislature shot down $10 million in state funding for the solar rebate program this year in part because the rebates mainly help "the wealthy who can already afford the solar systems."

But many of the more than 10,000 home and business owners who installed solar systems did so thinking they'd qualify for a rebate from the state. There's a $52 million backlog in the program, which is run by the governor's Energy Office.

Rep. Darren Soto, D-Orlando, said his office has been "inundated" with stories from constituents who installed solar panels or solar water heaters before they found out the state ran out of money. "Obviously, many folks relied on that program in making these purchases and now the entire solar industry is grappling with immense uncertainty," Soto wrote in a statement.

In a letter to Crist, House Speaker Larry Cretul, R-Ocala, criticized the Energy Office for "duping" people by continuing to publicize the program on its website months after the program's money ran out.

Republicans weren't the only ones trash-talking.

Former State Rep. Loranne Ausley, a Democrat who is running for chief financial officer, pushed her opponent, Senate President Jeff Atwater, to approve the rebate money and accused him of "using his office to play politics with the governor."

Diane Lade can be reached at dlade@SunSentinel.com or 954-356-4295.

Julie Patel can be reached at jpatel@SunSentinel.com or 954-356-4667.