(From the Sacramento Bee) Eight months after California was awarded $226 million in federal stimulus money to boost energy efficiency and renewable energy programs, it has failed to spend any of the cash and risks losing it, the state auditor charged Tuesday.

Auditor Elaine Howle said in a new report that the state agency tapped to hand out the energy program money to benefit recession-weary Californians also has insufficient internal controls to detect and stop taxpayers’ cash from being misused.

“The California Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission is not fully prepared to award and monitor millions in Recovery Act funds and lacks controls to prevent their misuse,” the report said.

Read more here: California could lose energy stimulus funds, auditor says