President Joe Biden is offering one of his White House challengers hundreds of millions of dollars to spend in his state. The only problem: that opponent is refusing to take it.

The Inflation Reduction Act makes Florida eligible for some $350 million in energy efficiency incentives. But Gov. Ron DeSantis has rejected the funding and other measures, creating the most prominent blockade by any Republican governor against Biden’s economic agenda.

And there’s nothing the White House can do besides hope he changes his mind.

The rejection has the potential to create significant ripple effects, politically and economically, in the coming months. As the president and his Cabinet members go around the country boasting about the IRA, rebates for energy-efficient purchases — the majority of the funding that DeSantis has refused — have played a particularly prominent role. That’s not just because they underpin the administration’s climate agenda but because they provide direct rebates to consumers.

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
[–] 33 points 3 years ago (18 children)

Part of me is okay with this not because I don't want green initiatives, but because it would be wasted on a state that will need a large population exodus. If we are thinking about climate change long term, we should not be encouraging people to be in or stay in Florida. Build the infrastructure elsewhere.

  • source
  • hideshow 18 child comments
  • [–] 18 points 3 years ago (15 children)

    The same should be going for Arizona, where they’re building all the new chip fabs. And where there are already water shortages and not enough people to staff them.

  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 15 child comments
  • [–] 15 points 3 years ago (2 children)

    Arizona is very efficient with water usage for the most part - especially in terms of residential and industrial usage. The big problem and water suck is agriculture in the region.

  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 2 child comments
  • [–] 4 points 3 years ago (1 child)

    Wait until you learn how much water fabs use.

  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 1 child comment
  • [–] 20 points 3 years ago*

    Arizona agricultural water usage: 4,400 million gallons per day (source).

    Semiconductor fab: 2-4 million gallons per day (source).

    So, not really the same scale unless you think Arizona is going to end up with more semiconductor fabs than Taiwan (and not really even then).

  • source
  • parent
  • [–] 1 point 3 years ago (11 children)

    Hard agree. Idk what the hell they are thinking.

  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 11 child comments
  • [–] 23 points 3 years ago (10 children)

    Tectonic stability is actually really important for chip fabrication, and the most stable location in the country happens to be Arizona.

  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 10 child comments
  • [–] 6 points 3 years ago (6 children)

    Oh neat, appreciate that info. That makes more sense.

  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 6 child comments
  • [–] 3 points 3 years ago (5 children)

    Yeah! Can't have even the slightest tremors when making parts that need nanometer-level precision!

  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 5 child comments
  • [–] 3 points 3 years ago (4 children)

    How does that work in Taiwan then? They have the best fabs in the world and are incredibly earthquake prone. I know Taipei 101 has the huge earthquake dampener, I wonder if there something similar stabilizing TSMC plants?

  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 4 child comments
  • [–] 2 points 3 years ago (3 children)

    Not quite sure. This article seems to brush the issue aside with "semiconductor fab building techniques help minimize risk of damage from earthquakes" but doesn't explain what those techniques are.

  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 3 child comments
  • [–] 2 points 3 years ago* (last edited 3 years ago) (2 children)

    Not really sure about in fabs for manufacturing, but whenever I was in college I had access to an electron microscope. It had its own foundation separate from the rest of the building to minimize vibrations. I’m sure there’s more to it than that, but that’s at least one technique.

  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 2 child comments
  • [–] 4 points 3 years ago*

    You know what place is essentially just as stable and isn't suffering a catastrophic water shortage? The entire great lakes region. There isn't a valid excuse anymore for frivolously increasing the water useage in Arizona.

  • source
  • parent
  • [–] 3 points 3 years ago (1 child)

    Yeah, another big disaster or two and it'll be impossible to get homeowner's insurance policies - and therefore, mortgages - on a large portion of Florida real estate.

  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 1 child comment