Gov. Palin Rejects Energy-Related Stimulus Cash

She is the only governor to turn away stimulus funds for energy efficiency.

State legislators and U.S. Sen. Mark Begich, D-Alaska, immediately criticized Palin for turning down the $28.6 million. Legislators, who had voted overwhelmingly to take the money, said it will just go to other states to spend while Alaska could have funded weatherization work and renewable energy projects. They said no other state has rejected it.

Palin announced her decision Thursday while signing the state budgets into law. The governor made few other spending vetoes, in contrast with previous years, and accepted the rest of the $930 million in stimulus money that Alaska is eligible for.

Palin said accepting the energy stimulus money would have required the state to follow a federal demand and "entice" local communities to adopt building codes.

The governor believes that building codes are a local issue which should not be subject to federal oversight or reporting. Accepting the money would require Alaska to prepare and submit to the Department of Energy a plan for how it would meet new energy efficiency standards.

posted by Gabriel Malor at 10:58 AM

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