• Wall Street Journal, Thursday, August 27, 2009 10:44 AM

A $300 million federal program aiming to create a buying-frenzy for energy-efficient appliances the way that the "Cash for Clunkers" program did for cars isn't leading manufacturers to pump out more units just yet. Instead, struggling appliance makers such as General Electric, Electrolux and Whirlpool are taking a wait-and-see attitude to determine which models qualify in each state, and what excites consumers' fancy.

"We're going to adjust our production as we see the changes in consumer demand emerge," says Marty O'Gorman, CFO of Electrolux Major Appliances North America, which is developing an advertising campaign around the program.

Some of the appliance makers are lobbying to make rules uniform nationwide. The Department of Energy wants states to focus on 10 categories of appliances; states could ask to include up to 46 other types of products, ranging from light bulbs to computers.

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