Florida lawmakers press DOE to release $345 million in withheld home energy rebates

Representative Wasserman Schultz (Speaker 7) told the subcommittee that since January 2025 the department had withheld about $345,000,000 in rebate funds for Florida homeowners, ranging from $8,000 to $14,000 per household, and asked when the funds would be released. She said the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services is waiting for $173,000,000 in home efficiency dollars and another $172,000,000 in high-efficiency electric home rebates.

Secretary Wright responded that he did not have specific timing at his fingertips and explained the department is reviewing broad-based consumer rebate programs "to make sure we get rid of fraud on these things, and we deliver them straight up." He acknowledged the scale of the sums and said DOE is looking carefully at program integrity before releasing funds; he agreed to provide additional details for the record.

Wasserman Schultz urged the department to prioritize release where legally obligated and where state and tribal administrators are prepared to deploy funds for energy-saving retrofits and appliance replacements. Members stressed the household-level impact of these grants in high-electricity-cost states and asked for a written response clarifying the conditions under which DOE will release previously awarded funds.