A letter from the governor of Alaska is conspicuously absent, because, as we all know by now, Gov. Sarah Palin promised to turn down $28.6 million of those funds are slated for Alaska for a state energy program. Last March, she said the funds were, a "bribe."

"It's here, ‘Take these dollars, but you gotta grow your government. You're going to have to police this new program, even enforcement of building codes if you take these dollars,'" she said.

Well, not really. As the letters show fairly clearly, the Department of Energy will accept even the most perfunctory assurances that a state will try to improve energy efficiency standards.

Here, for instance, is what the C.L. Butch Otter, the governor of Idaho, wrote:

"I have written to our public utility commission and requested that they continue their successful decoupting efforts and consider additional actions to promote energy efficiency... I have also written the appropriate state agencies and requested that they consider actions to improve building energy codes, consistent with State law and State Constitutional requirements, and to consider the statutory language contained in ARRA."

Here's New Hampshire's governor, John Lynch:

"I have written to our public utility commission and requested that they consider additional actions to promote energy efficiency, consistent with the Federal statutory language contained in H.R. 1 and their obligations to maintain just and reasonable rates, while protecting the public. I have also written to the State Legislature and requested that they consider actions to improve building energy codes, consistent with State law and State Constitutional requirements, and to consider the statutory language contained in ARRA."

Arkansas:

"I have written to the Chairman of the Arkansas Public Sewice Commission and requested that the commissioners consider additional actions to promote energy efficiency consistent with the federal statutory language contained in H.R. 1 and with their obligations to maintain just and reasonable rates, while protecting the public. I have also written to the Speaker of the House of Representatives of the Arkansas General Assembly and requested that legislators consider actions that will improve new-building energy codes consistent with Arkansas law and Arkansas constitutional requirements, and to consider the statutory language contained in ARRA."

And it goes on. All that seems to be required is for Palin to write a letter to our legislators, asking them to consider the statutory language. Then the state would be $28.6 richer, and we might, just might, think about being more energy efficient.