As part of the February 2009 Federal Stimulus Act, in April California received $31.7 million for a rebate fund for energy-efficient appliances. Unlike some states that exhausted their funds within days, California's Cash for Appliances fund still has $20 million left. This may be due to their more stringent requirements for energy efficiency, and the limited numbers of appliances to which the rebate applies: $200 for a refrigerator, $100 for a clothes washer, and $50 for a room air conditioner.

Rather than changing the energy efficiency standards, California is expanding the scope of the rebates. If a new proposal passes on July 27, buyers could also earn rebates on dishwaters ($100), freezers ($50), water heaters ($100 to $750) and heating, ventilating and air conditioning units ($200 to $1,000). Buyers must replace an existing appliance of the same type, and recycle the old one.

California's energy efficiency standards are among the strictest in the country--and it's been effective at capping their per capita energy consumption, which has remained steady for more than three decades. More details here.