State energy officials said today they have scrounged up another $1 million for rebates to residents who buy energy-efficient appliances.
The N.C. State Energy Office is making the money available to people who buy appliances with the federal Energy Star efficiency rating.
The rebates range from $75 for freezers and dishwashers to $300 for gas furnaces and air conditioners.
Nearly $600,000 of the pot is open to new applicants and about $400,000 will go to people who've made previous purchases and are on a rebate waiting list.
The newly-found money comes from a small percentage of federal stimulus funds this state received but did not use for a variety of reasons, said Seth Effron, spokesman for the State Energy Office.
The extra million bucks comes on the heels of $1 million state officials released just a week ago for Energy Star rebates. That's on top of about $8 million in rebates the state distributed earlier this year, bringing the size of the popular Energy Star rebate program to $10 million.
John Murawski has been a full-time newspaper reporter since 1991, with stints at Legal Times and The Chronicle of Philanthropy (both in Washington, DC), The Philadelphia Inquirer and The Palm Beach Post (in South Florida) before arriving at the N&O in December 2004. At the N&O he covers energy (nuclear, coal, renewable, efficiency), hydralic fracturing (or "fracking"), public utilities (both electric and natural gas) and health care. His beat includes Progress Energy, PSNC Energy, Piedmont Natural Gas, PowerSecure International, GlaxoSmithKline, Merck, Novo Nordisk, Pfizer, Biogen Idec and others. You can reach him at 919-829-8932 or