Electric lawn mower switch. Electric Lawn Mowers: 4 Ways to Get Discounts and Rebates

Lawn Care

Because many conventional gas and diesel lawn mowers do not have strong emission controls, they are widely recognized as a major source of smog-forming air pollution. In fact, a 6HP diesel or gas mower running for an hour creates the equivalent emissions of driving your car 160 miles. (source)

Not only do old-fashioned lawn mowers burn fossil fuels, they also create ground-level ozone and haze. And, an estimated 17 million gallons of gas is spilled each year as we refuel the mowers, which can pollute drinking water.

Receive up to 300 toward the purchase of a new electric ride lawn mower. Receive up to 100 toward the purchase of a new electric push lawn mower.

Switching to an electric lawn mower can significantly reduce the number of toxic pollutants directly released into the air. And since Burlington runs on 100% renewably-sourced energy, there is an environmental benefit to mowing with an electric mower.

Burlington Electric Department wants to help you make the switch. We are offering a 100 rebate on the purchase of a new electric lawn mower. See terms and conditions.

Electric Lawn Mower

• Push mower

• Lawn mower must be at least 36-volt.
• Rebate amount is limited to the lesser of 100 or 50% of the purchase price.
• Self-propelled push mowers are also eligible for this rebate.

• Lawn mower must be at least 48-volt.
• Rebate amount is limited to the lesser of 300 or 50% of the purchase price.
• This offer is valid through December 31, 2023.
• Burlington Electric Department reserves the right to inspect installation and/or verify purchase.
• Burlington Electric Department reserves the right to modify or end this offer at any time.
• Please be aware that if your rebates from BED total more than 600 in a calendar year you may be required to complete and submit a W9 form. A W9 form will be provided in this rebate form if it is required.

Electric Lawn Mowers (Commercial)

Receive 3,500 for the purchase of a new commercial-grade lawn mower.

Electric commercial-grade lawn mowers have many benefits:

• Over its lifetime, it will save you money due to lower fuel, maintenance, and repair costs.
• There are environmental benefits including air pollution reduction.
• Electric lawn mowers produce about 1/3 the sound intensity of conventional gas or diesel mowers of similar horsepower.
• Commercial lawn mower rebates are limited to following models:

• Gravely PRO-TURN® EV
• Greenworks Lithium Z Ride Mowers: GZ 48R, GZ 48S, GZ 52R, GZ 52S, GZ 60R
• Mean Green Ride Mowers: Evo 74, Rival 52/60, Vanquish 52/60, Nemesis 48/60, and Fury 32/36

Electric Lawn Mower (Commercial)

• Must be a Commercial BED customer.
• Qualified Products List:

• Gravely PRO-TURN® EV
• Greenworks Lithium Z Ride Mowers: GZ 48R, GZ 48S, GZ 52R, GZ 52S, GZ 60R
• Mean Green: Evo 74, Rival 52/60, Vanquish 52/60, Nemesis 48/60, and Fury 32/36
• This offer is valid through December 31, 2023.
• Burlington Electric Department reserves the right to inspect installation and/or verify purchase.
• Burlington Electric Department reserves the right to modify or end this offer at any time.
• Please be aware that if your rebates from BED total more than 600 in a calendar year you may be required to complete and submit a W9 form. A W9 form will be provided in this rebate form if it is required.

Additional 30% Federal Tax Credit New for 2023: With the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act, new mowers may be eligible for a 30% federal tax credit. Read more here.

Electric Leaf Blowers

Because gas and diesel leaf blowers do not have strong emission controls, running them for an hour can create the equivalent emissions of driving your car 100 miles.

Receive up to 200 for the purchase of a new commercial-grade leaf blower. Residential accounts are eligible for up to 40 back.

Switching to an electric leaf blower can significantly reduce the amount of toxic pollutants released into the air. And since Burlington runs on 100% renewably-sourced energy, there is an environmental benefit to using an electric leaf blower. See rebate form for terms conditions.

Electric Leaf Blower

Have the following items ready:

• Your Burlington Electric Department account number. It is printed on your monthly bill.
• A scan or photo of your proof of purchase.
• Limit one rebate per account.
• This rebate form must be submitted within 60 days of purchase.
• BED reserves the right to modify or end this offer at any time.
• W9 form required prior to issuing rebate check. If applicable, a 1099 form will be sent.
• Commercial Customers

• Only for BED commercial customers with active accounts.
• Rebate amount is limited to the lesser of 150 or 50% of the purchase price.
• Purchase must be made after January 1, 2022.
• Leaf blower purchase must include at least 800 watt-hours of battery capacity.

• Rebate amount is limited to the lesser of 50 or 50% of the purchase price.
• Purchase must be made after January 1, 2022.
• Leaf blower must come with at least a 40-volt battery.
• Reconditioned leaf blowers are not eligible.
• This offer is valid through December 31, 2023.
• Burlington Electric Department reserves the right to inspect installation and/or verify purchase.
• Burlington Electric Department reserves the right to modify or end this offer at any time.
• Please be aware that if your rebates from BED total more than 600 in a calendar year you may be required to complete and submit a W9 form. A W9 form will be provided in this rebate form if it is required.

Electric Chainsaws Trimmers

Be like the BED line crew!

We are now offering rebates of 50 (residential) and 150 (commercial) on electric chainsaws and trimmers (hedge or string).

Electric Chainsaw

• Commercial: Lesser of 150 or 50% of retail price
• Residential: Lesser of 50 or 50% of retail price

Have the following items ready:

• Your Burlington Electric Department account number. It is printed on your monthly bill.
• A scan or photo of your proof of purchase.
• Reconditioned chainsaws are not eligible.
• Chainsaw must come with at least 40V battery.
• Limit one rebate per account.
• This rebate form must be submitted within 60 days of purchase.
• Purchase must be made after January 1, 2022.
• Only for BED customers with active accounts.
• This offer is valid through December 31, 2023.
• Burlington Electric Department reserves the right to inspect installation and/or verify purchase.
• Burlington Electric Department reserves the right to modify or end this offer at any time.
• Please be aware that if your rebates from BED total more than 600 in a calendar year you may be required to complete and submit a W9 form. A W9 form will be provided in this rebate form if it is required.

Electric Trimmers

• Commercial: Lesser of 150 or 50% of retail price
• Residential: Lesser of 50 or 50% of retail price

Have the following items ready:

• Your Burlington Electric Department account number. It is printed on your monthly bill.
• A scan or photo of your proof of purchase.
• Reconditioned trimmers are not eligible.
• Trimmer must come with at least 40V battery.
• Limit one rebate per account.
• This rebate form must be submitted within 60 days of purchase.
• Purchase must be made after January 1, 2022.
• Only for BED customers with active accounts.
• This offer is valid through December 31, 2023.
• Burlington Electric Department reserves the right to inspect installation and/or verify purchase.
• Burlington Electric Department reserves the right to modify or end this offer at any time.
• Please be aware that if your rebates from BED total more than 600 in a calendar year you may be required to complete and submit a W9 form. A W9 form will be provided in this rebate form if it is required.

Electric Snow Blowers

As part of our new offerings, BED is offering a rebate on electric snow blowers.

Electric Snow Blower

Have the following items ready:

• Your Burlington Electric Department account number. It is printed on your monthly bill.
• A scan or photo of your proof of purchase.
• Snow Blower must come with at least 56V battery.
• Limit one rebate per account.
• This rebate form must be submitted within 60 days of purchase.
• Purchase must be made after January 1, 2022.
• Only for BED customers with active accounts.
• Reconditioned snow blowers are not eligible.
• This offer is valid through December 31, 2023.
• Burlington Electric Department reserves the right to inspect installation and/or verify purchase.
• Burlington Electric Department reserves the right to modify or end this offer at any time.
• Please be aware that if your rebates from BED total more than 600 in a calendar year you may be required to complete and submit a W9 form. A W9 form will be provided in this rebate form if it is required.

Battery Recycling

Curious about what to do with your lithium-ion battery at end of life? Contact the CSWD Environmental Depot for information and next steps, including whether you need to schedule a drop-off appointment.

Making the switch to cleaner lawn equipment may not cost as much as you think.

By Deirdre Mundorf | Published May 30, 2023 2:30 PM

We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs.

Every time you mow a lawn with a gas-powered mower, you’re adding new pollutants into the air. In fact, using a gas-powered mower for just one hour releases the same amount of VOCs into the air as driving a new car for 45 miles, which is part of why gas mowers and other lawn equipment are responsible for as much as 5 percent of the air pollution in the United States. Some states are proposing laws to prohibit the purchase of these mowers in the coming years. Honda has even pledged to stop selling gas mowers in the United States by the end of 2024.

In addition, battery technology has been improving and homeowner concerns have been growing about carbon footprints and greenhouse gas emissions. The result is that electric lawn mowers have been gaining popularity.

Contrary to what many believe, you can even save money using an electric mower instead of a gas one. They’re competitively priced and cost less to operate, especially when you consider gas prices.

If you currently have a gas-powered mower and are ready to make the switch to a clean, electric model, you may be able to get a rebate to help make the new purchase a little easier. Lawn mower rebates are offered by many cities, states, and even utility companies.

How to Find Electric Lawn Mower Rebates

There are several different types of electric lawn mower rebates available, and the trick is finding one that applies to you. Start by checking with your local government for the city or county you live in. If that search doesn’t yield any results, you can also try searching by the state you live in.

There are numerous rebate and exchange programs that cover more than one city or zipcode, and you may fall into one of these. Another place to check is with your utility company. Some are offering rebates or credits to their customers for switching to more environmentally-friendly appliances and equipment, including lawn mowers. Searching for “electric lawn mower rebate near me” or using your city name could also help bring up viable options for you.

Once you find a rebate or exchange program near you, be sure to closely read the fine print. Some require that you purchase a specific model of electric mower—such as a battery powered model over a corded one. Others also require that you turn in an old (and, in some cases, working) gas mower in order to qualify for some or all of the rebate. You will likely need to provide documentation of your purchase and proof of residency, as well.

City Rebate and Exchange Programs

One of the first places to look for rebate programs is in the city where you live. Many local governments are offering either rebate or exchange programs to encourage their residents to make the switch to cleaner energy sources. The specific outlines of each program will vary based on location; some are simply offering a rebate to any customers who purchases an electric-powered motor, while others require customers to turn in a functioning gas-powered model in order to receive any funds.

If you live in Toledo, Ohio, you’re in luck. The city is offering a limited number of 100 rebates for residents who purchase a new battery-powered mower and dispose of their old gas-powered model. The rebate is a 100 gift card.

Regional Rebate and Exchange Programs

There are also rebate programs run by larger regional governments or organizations. For example, the Regional Air Quality Council is also running a rebate and exchange program for the Denver Metro/North Front Range area of Colorado. Residents can receive a 150 voucher when they recycle their old gas mower at a participating Ace Hardware or The Home Depot in the city. With this program, even residents who don’t have a gas-powered mower to recycle can receive a 75 voucher towards the purchase of a new electric lawn mower.

Another example of a regional program is the one being run by the South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD). The program covers residents of most of San Bernardino, Riverside, Orange, and most of Los Angeles Counties in California. When they trade in a working gas mower, residents can receive a rebate of up to 250 on the purchase of a new, zero-emission battery-powered lawn mower. The maximum rebate of 250 only applies to electric lawn mowers that retail for 401 or more, but even cheaper lawn mowers can qualify for a 150 rebate.

Utility Company Rebates

If the state or regional government in your area doesn’t offer a rebate or exchange program, check with the local utility companies. For example, Clark County REMC, a utility company in Indiana, offers customers up to 50 towards the purchase of a new electric lawn mower (minimum of 36 volts), string trimmer, or leaf blower.

Similarly, all 17 of the electric utility companies in Vermont offer rebates and incentives to encourage their customers to switch from gas to electric mowers. The specific discount varies, but may be up to 100 in some areas.

Incentives and Tax Credits for Landscaping Companies

Landscaping companies can also receive benefits for making the switch to electric-powered lawn equipment. Numerous states offer various incentives to make the transition from gas-equipment a bit less painful.

For example, Michigan’s Clean Diesel Program will cover up to 60 percent of the cost of new electric mowers, California’s Clean Off-Road Equipment Voucher Incentive Project offers up to 12,500 per mower, and Colorado’s Clean Diesel Program covers up to 45 percent of a new electric mower.

How to Use an Electric Lawn Mower

Now that your dream mower is in front of you (or in your shopping cart), it’s time to rev your electric engine. You’ll want to review your manual for all the details on your specific mower model, but let’s start with a step-by-step guide on using your electric lawn mower. And don’t forget to check out our safety tips below – because safety is always a priority here at Greenworks.

Why Choose an Electric Lawn Mower?

If you want a smoother and more consistent mowing experience, an electric lawn mower takes the top prize. Cordless electric lawn mowers are hassle-free – charge the battery, click into place and you’re ready to mow. With an easy push-button start, no required maintenance and easy-to-store maneuverability, you can say goodbye forever to the hassle of gas mower pull cords and mid-mow refueling. Bonus: you can use your electric mower batteries on an arsenal of additional yard tools – your garage is a one-stop shop for anything you need!

How Do I Mow with a Battery-Powered Lawn Mower?

Great news: while electric mower models can vary, the basic mower anatomy is similar. Although mowers from other manufacturers may vary, c heck out our best practice guide to start mowing with a battery-powered mower. 1. Celebrate your sustainable and efficient electric lawn mower purchase.

Getting started with your new battery-powered lawn mower couldn’t be easier. No pull cords that hurt your shoulder and no dumping gas all over your driveway or yourself. Mowing your lawn has never been this easy – or enjoyable! 2. Charge your batteries.

Whether this is your first or fiftieth time using your electric lawn mower, you’ll need to make sure your batteries are charged and ready for mow time. Securely place your batteries into the designated charger and you’ll be powered up in no time. While your batteries are charging, you can get organized on the other fun parts of having an electric mower. 3. Decide if you want to mulch, bag or side discharge.

• If you’re in the mood to bag your lawn, ensure your side discharge flap is flush with the mower. Take out the bagging plug before you clip in your bagger. Easy peasy!
• If you’d like to mulch your lawn, check that the side discharge flap is flush and the mulching plug is in place. You’re good to go!
• If you’re side discharging, unhook your lawn bag and stick in the plug. Next, attach the side discharge vent – ensure your grass clippings will discharge to the side, not in your face.

Set your cutting height.

You can easily adjust the grass-cutting height for all four wheels with the lever located near the back wheels. And with up to seven height options, you’ll love the versatility and customization of simply moving the wheels up and down.

Insert charged batteries.

Open the lid to the battery compartment and gently slide the fully-charged battery – or batteries, depending on your model – into place. You should hear the batteries click securely into place.

Great news – you can’t do this wrong because the batteries only can slide in one way. Insert the safety key into the correct spot next to the batteries (if applicable) and you’re ready to rev.

Start up your electric mower.

Batteries? Check. Mulch/side discharge/bag in place? Check. You’re ready to turn on your mower. Simply push and hold the start button, pull the start handle– and voila! Your battery-powered lawn mower will purr into action.

Explore your mower’s features.

It’s time. You’ve finally made it to the lawn! While you are basking in the joy of mowing with your new battery-powered lawn mower, take a moment to test drive some of the fun features that your model may have, like the self-propel and turbo options.

While you mow, you can glance at your battery indicator to check how much power you have left. Most models have a battery indicator next to the start button, so keeping tabs on your mower’s available power is easy.

Close it down.

Once your lawn is looking crisp and pristine, you are ready to power down your mower. Spoiler alert: you just need to push the on/off button. It’s that easy! Find a cozy spot in your garage or shed for storage and you’re good to go. If it strikes your fancy, you can even fold it in half and hang it.

Safety Tips for Your Cordless Electric Mower

Safety first, friends. We know you – and your new electric mower – are powered up and ready to start mowing. But before you do, we need to touch on a few critical lawn mower safety tips:

• Protective eye gear: In a perfect world, we’d all have safety goggles at the ready – but if you don’t have a pair handy, make sure to put on protective eye gear like sunglasses or goggles. Add a baseball cap to help deflect any wayward pebbles or sticks that can launch your way – plus a hat will protect your face from the telltale “I just mowed my lawn” sunburn.
• Take a look at your shoes: Yes, your shoes. Most of us don’t think twice about wearing flip-flops during warm weather – but that’s a big hazard for mowing your lawn. Closed-toed shoes are a must, whether they’re gardening clogs, Nikes or anything in between.
• Check your batteries: We’re talking about the battery compartments in the front of your electric lawn mower. Before you lock and load your batteries, look closely at the battery bays to ensure there isn’t any moisture, standing water or leftover lawn debris hanging out in there.
• Pay attention to the weather: We have all been there – rushing to get in a quick lawn mowing before rains. But don’t head out with your lawn mower into potentially dangerous weather – it’s not worth the risk! Thunder and lightning can begin much earlier than rain – so keep an eye on the sky and if it’s too close of a call, hold off on mowing until better weather has arrived.
• Be a responsible mower: We know you will be – but it’s worth the reminder. Avoid mowing through standing water or close to where the kids or family pets are playing. And as tempting as it might be to elevate your mow time into a workout, keep a steady walking pace instead of running behind your mower. You’ve already nailed it on being environmentally responsible with your electric lawn mower – now just keep an eye on your surroundings.

Looking for more details on how to choose an electric lawn mower ? Check out the Greenworks mower buying guide and learn more about zero turn vs riding mowers and push mower vs. self-propelled.

Making the Switch to an Electric Lawn Mower

With the onset of spring, many of us have been pulling out our lawnmowers and beginning to get them prepped for the mowing season. Traditional gas mowers require routine maintenance, from changing spark plugs and oil to regular trips to the gas station before you can begin mowing. There’s a new solution that requires significantly less maintenance, is quieter, more eco friendly, and significantly cheaper over time. Electric cordless lawn mowers come in a plethora of styles and cover a wide range of needs making them accessible to almost anyone. If you’ve been thinking about making the switch, now is the time.

Electric Lawn Mowers are Essentially Maintenance Free

Electric mowers require significantly less maintenance in comparison with gas mowers. Gas mowers need spark plugs, oil changes, fresh gas, and have a pull start that can be tricky to get going. Mowing your yard can go from being a quick endeavor to a day’s project. Electric mowers, in comparison, are much easier to operate. Cordless mowers require a charge before you can get going, and depending on the size of your lawn and the battery, may require more than one charge to complete the job. Corded mowers, however, don’t need a charge — just plug and go! Both electric and gas mowers require the blades be sharpened once or twice a season so that they don’t harm your grass as you’re mowing.

Easier operation

Gone are the days of fighting with your mower to get it to turn on. Electric mowers turn on with a button, making them much more manageable than gas mowers with their pull-cord starts. Many electric mowers come equipped with rear-wheel drive and make it easier to maneuver your lawn as you mow. Electric mowers are also significantly lighter than gas mowers, which can eliminate the stress and strain that comes from pushing a heavy mower around your lawn.

Easier storage and cleaning

Traditional mowers can be bulky, taking up lots of room in your garage, especially with all the equipment required to maintain them. We love electric mowers because they fold up in their charging docks and take up significantly less room. They are also easier to clean. All they require is sharpening the blade, removing caked-on debris, and a quick vacuum around the motor. This can be done once a year at the beginning of the mowing season.

Electric Lawn Mowers are significantly quieter.

Nothing is more disruptive to a peaceful morning or evening than the roar of a mower. Gas mowers can be quite disturbing, especially in the summer when it’s much better to mow in the morning or late evening to beat the heat. Another huge perk to electric mowers is that they are virtually silent. By eradicating the need for an engine, electric mowers cut way down on the sound they produce. This means mowing on a Sunday morning is no longer a nuisance to your neighbors! It’s also a big perk for golf courses or parks because it doesn’t disrupt the quiet serenity of the setting.

Electric Lawn Mowers are more Cost-Effective.

Corded electric lawn mowers are the most inexpensive choice and cost less than a gas mower would upfront. Cordless mowers can be a bit more expensive but are significantly cheaper over time. As we discussed earlier, gas mowers require gas, oil, and repairs from time to time. Over the lifetime of the mower, that can add up. Electric mowers save hundreds of dollars over their lifetime in comparison to gas mowers.

Electric Lawn Mowers are better for the environment!

Going electric is better for the environment, plain and simple. While lawns can be criticized for not being eco friendly, a big part of that critique often points to the maintenance they require — specifically the gas intake and emissions from mowing. While we’ve debunked this idea that grass is bad for the environment, read more, switching to an electric mower is a huge part of making lawns greener! Anything we can do to reduce our emissions is significant for the earth. In many areas, you also have the option to source your electricity from a more sustainable option. If you haven’t yet, call your electricity provider and ask about using renewable energy to power your home.

While gas mowers do have some advantages, like being a bit more durable and being able to go for much longer than a cordless mower, electric mowers are great for the homeowner. They have plenty of power to keep your yard in tip-top shape. They are much easier to operate and maintain, save you money, and are much better for the environment. There’s never been a better time to switch to an electric mower!

Professional landscapers are reluctant to plug into electric mowers due to cost

Austin Acocella, co-owner of Acocella Landscaping in Westchester County, N.Y., is holding onto his gas-powered mowers. He says electric ride-ons are too expensive for him to switch right now. Matthew Schuerman hide caption

Austin Acocella, co-owner of Acocella Landscaping in Westchester County, N.Y., is holding onto his gas-powered mowers. He says electric ride-ons are too expensive for him to switch right now.

SCARSDALE, N.Y. — Electric lawn mowers have taken the U.S. consumer market by storm over the past few years. And they’ve done so quietly — about 20 decibels more quietly in some cases.

Once restricted to lawns no larger than the length of an extension cord, mowers on the market today run on lithium ion batteries that can last 45 minutes or more without charging and cost about as much as gas-powered versions. And in 2021, according to market research company FactMR, electric lawn mowers made up 37% of all sales.

But professional landscapers, who have to run their machines all day, day after day, have yet to join the trend in large numbers. Electric heavy-duty ride-on mowers make up just 11% of the total market for all heavy-duty ride-on mowers.

For homeowners, I feel like it’s great, said Austin Acocella, co-owner of Acocella Landscaping in Scarsdale, N.Y. The battery just doesn’t last long, especially for the stuff that I do.

He has checked out commercial-grade mowers with batteries that can last six or more hours, but hasn’t wanted to pay the upfront costs. A 52-inch-wide ride-on model, the Rival from Mean Green Mowers, starts at nearly 30,000. That is more than three times a comparable gas-powered machine – though the manufacturer says the customer will break even given significantly lower operation and maintenance costs.

In the future I would love to buy them, but right at this second, I just can’t because of inflation and just everything that’s going on, Acocella says. I just can’t swing it yet.

Acocella and his employees began using hand-held electric devices – leaf blowers, weed whackers and hedge trimmers – last year when one of his clients, the town of Larchmont, required it. He’s begun to use them on other properties as well because they are lighter, much quieter, and don’t emit pollutants. But with the exception of the hedge trimmer, he says, they need frequent battery changes and are not as powerful.

I need something that’s going to last long or something that’s easy, Austin says. Like I have a gas can, it’s on a truck that I just fuel up and I go. How many batteries do I need to have in order to get through the day?

Mean Green Mowers, a 10-year-old electric lawn mower company based in Ohio, sells commercial-grade ride-on lawn mowers with long-lasting batteries. Jen Stroker (left), regional development manager for the company, and Raymond Rocco, co-owner of C.R. Power, which sells the products, demonstrated the Rival model in a Port Chester, N.Y., park recently. Matthew Schuerman hide caption

Mean Green Mowers, a 10-year-old electric lawn mower company based in Ohio, sells commercial-grade ride-on lawn mowers with long-lasting batteries. Jen Stroker (left), regional development manager for the company, and Raymond Rocco, co-owner of C.R. Power, which sells the products, demonstrated the Rival model in a Port Chester, N.Y., park recently.

Bans on gas-powered gear

Yet landscapers are being pressured to change – sometimes by clients and sometimes by governments. Last fall, the California Legislature passed a law requiring that all new landscaping equipment sold in the state be emissions-free beginning Jan. 1, 2024.

The state and national landscaping associations objected, arguing that electric equipment wasn’t advanced enough to operate for long periods of time, and in some cases, did not work as well as gas equipment. As proof, they cited a study from the California State University at Fullerton to show that zero emissions equipment hadn’t caught on among professionals. The study found that less than 6% of equipment used by landscapers were zero-emissions, compared to more than 50% of the gear used by homeowners.

But Assemblymember Marc Berman, the bill’s author, disputes the industry’s characterization of zero-emissions equipment.

This equipment is ready today, said Berman, a Democrat from Palo Alto. There are at least eight brands that produce zero emission equipment in each major equipment category for commercial equipment.

After that bill was passed, New York State Sen. Pete Harckham introduced a similar bill in Albany. Though it did not pass in the regular session, Harckham told NPR he plans to re-introduce it but has not decided on when the mandate would take effect.

Both the California legislation and the New York proposal only address the sale of new equipment, meaning landscapers and homeowners can continue using their existing gas-powered tools.

Numerous cities and towns across the country have gone further and restricted the use – as opposed to just the purchase – of gas-powered leaf blowers. And this month, two municipalities in Marin County, Calif., – Fairfax and Sausalito – banned the use of other gas-powered equipment as well, including mowers, to be phased in over the next 18 months.

Mixed environmental impact

Electric lawn mowers won’t help much in terms of climate-changing emissions – people just don’t mow their lawns nearly as much as they drive. The California Air Resources Board, for example, estimates that phasing out gasoline-powered lawn equipment will save an average of 0.66 million metric tons of CO2 a year, while the state produced 418 million tons in 2019 – the last year data was available.

But the agency found that gasoline-powered engines produce substantial amounts of other pollutants, such as nitrogen oxide, which can lead to respiratory difficulties and smog. In addition, researchers have raised concerns about the impact of the equipment’s noise and vibrations on operators’ health.

Large, commercial-grade equipment is used on a significant proportion of green spaces around the country – not only public properties and office parks. The California State University survey found, for example, that half of the state’s residents with lawns hired landscapers to take care of them, either partially or fully.

Drawbacks of mandates

Still, even some supporters of green landscaping oppose mandating electric equipment, arguing that it may cause small landscapers – an important employer of immigrants and limited-skill workers – to go out of business.

If you just ban the use of equipment, you’re really putting the entire onus on the landscapers to come up with the money that they need to purchase the equipment, said Jamie Banks, the founder and CEO of the non-profit Quiet Communities, Inc. It’s not just purchasing the tool but also purchasing enough batteries and enough chargers that they can meet their work production needs.

And some of those batteries are expensive – as much as 1,500 for a backpack-style one to power a leaf blower. California lawmakers have so far allocated 30 million for subsidies to offset the higher landscapers will have to pay for new electric equipment. But the National Association of Landscape Professionals said the amount breaks down to just 15 for each piece of gas-powered equipment that landscapers in the state need to replace.

Berman, the state legislator, said that he is hoping to get more subsidies in the budget for the coming year.

Quiet Communities and another nonprofit, the American Green Zone Alliance, have been working with towns, school districts, and other entities to adopt zero-emissions equipment for their own properties, but to do so voluntarily. So far, they say they have recruited about 20 locales and institutions across the country to take part in their program.

I think the writing is on the wall, Banks said. It’s just, how do we get there in a way that’s, you know, fair, most efficient and so forth.