Today, the South Coast Air Quality Management District (South Coast AQMD) announced the expansion of its Residential Electric Lawn & Garden Equipment Rebate Program from just lawn mowers to include leaf blowers, trimmers, and chainsaws. Trimmers can include weed wackers, edgers, and brush cutters. Residents in the South Coast Air Basin now have the opportunity to replace up to three different gasoline-powered equipment with zero-emission, battery-electric models purchased from an authorized retail store or online.
The program offers a rebate of up to $250 per equipment to help offset the cost of the new purchase. Rebates are provided on a first-come, first-served basis, and the destruction of the old gasoline equipment at a certified scrapper is required. Participants can receive up to three rebates for three different eligible electric lawn and garden equipment types, with corresponding scrapping of a gasoline-powered equivalent over the life of the program. The new equipment must be cordless and include a battery and charger to receive the rebate. Applications must be submitted online.
"Using a gas-powered lawn mower for just one hour emits the same amount of pollution as a road trip from Los Angeles to Las Vegas," said Wayne Nastri, Executive Officer at the South Coast AQMD. "By expanding the program, we hope more residents will make the switch to electric lawn and garden equipment, that will reduce their carbon footprint and improve air quality."
Since 2017, the original Residential Electric Lawn Mower Rebate Program has achieved emission reductions in the South Coast Air Basin of approximately 1.4 tons per year of volatile organic compounds and 0.28 ton per year of nitrogen oxides. A sizeable increase in emission reduction can be expected with the program expansion.
