Time for Governor Hochul to Sign the Lawn Mower Rebate Bill

Gas-powered lawn equipment like mowers, leaf blowers, and hedge trimmers contribute to air pollution and climate change by releasing volatile organic compounds and carbon dioxide. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency data has found that gas-powered lawn mowers make up 5 percent of total air pollution in the United States, and it's even higher in urban areas. 

Each weekend, about 54 million Americans mow their lawns, which totals to about 800 million gallons of gas used per year. What’s more is that the emissions from a single four-stroke lawnmower operating for one hour are equivalent to an average vehicle traveling 500 miles. The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation has disclosed that the lawn care equipment emits polluting hydrocarbons, oxides of nitrogen, fine particulate matter, and carbon monoxide.

A bill introduced by Senator Liz Krueger and Assemblyman Steven Otis will create an electric landscaping equipment rebate program to be administered by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), designed as a first come, first serve plan for businesses and consumers who exchange their gas-powered lawn equipment for electric-powered devices. 

Not only is gas-powered lawn equipment polluting, but it also creates intense noise pollution that battery-operated equipment does not. According to a 2018 report in the Journal of Environmental and Toxicological Studies, sound levels at distances of 400 feet were up to 22 decibels louder from a gas-driven leaf blower compared to one driven by an electric battery—each increase of 10 decibels represents a tenfold increase in clamorous sound. Hearing this noisy equipment for hours a day exposes workers and large numbers of people in the community to harmful levels of noise and threatens public health, particularly for children, seniors, and other vulnerable populations.

About 170 communities in the United States have already enacted restrictions on gas-powered leaf blowers, including several dozen cities and villages in New York State that have enforced bans on this equipment during certain times of the year. The Krueger-Otis bill will foster even broader support for New Yorkers—the rebate plan will help landscapers and homeowners transition away from gas-powered lawn care equipment to far less polluting, far less noisy electrical products. Numerous communities in California already operate this type of rebate program and now New York should join ranks. 

This expert blog was originally published December 20, 2022, and has been updated with new information and links.