The council has a big sweetener for anyone unwilling to pay higher energy costs: rebating the revenue to taxpayers, which would mean that each year, a family of four would get a check for $2,000 from the federal government — an amount that would rise as the tax rate does. The idea is to keep the money from being grabbed by politicians to pay for existing or new federal outlays. It would also appease congressional Republicans who oppose any increase in tax burdens.