Hawai'i will receive up to $1.2 million in federal stimulus money for its state-run rebate program for consumer purchases of qualifying energy-efficient home appliances, the U.S. Department of Energy announced yesterday.

"Appliances consume a huge amount of our electricity, so there's enormous potential to both save energy and save families money every month," Energy Secretary Steven Chu said in a statement.

"These rebates will help families make the transition to more efficient appliances, making purchases that will directly stimulate the economy and create jobs," Chu said.

The new funding will be awarded to states and territories, through their energy offices, using a formula set forth in the Energy Policy Act of 2005.

Each state or territory is required to submit a plan that specifies which Energy Star appliance categories will be included in their rebate program, the rebate level for each product type, how the rebates will be processed, and their plan for recycling old appliances.