The San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District's well-received electric lawn mower program is back for another round.
The Clean Green Yard Machines program removes older, polluting, gas-powered lawn mowers from use and replaces them with emission-free, cordless, electric mowers at significantly reduced cost to Valley consumers.
This year the air district is reporting they have more funding for the program and have more lawn mower options than in the past.
"This is, by far, our most popular consumer program, and with this historic funding level, we're able to help more Valley residents," said Samir Sheikh, the air district's director of incentive programs.
Electric lawn mowers remove a significant amount of emissions from the air basin. According to the air district using a gas-powered mower for one hour can produce emissions equivalent to driving 40 late-model cars for one hour.
The program has been retooled from a voucher-based incentive program to a rebate program, and consumers can select from a wide range of mowers to replace their gas-powered mowers. Rebates are granted on a sliding scale up to $250, depending on the price of the new mower. Rebates are issued on a first-come, first-served basis.
Program participants must be residents of the eight-county air basin. Additional requirements include:
• Purchase must be made on or after June 4 from manufacturer authorized dealers and retailers. These may include local hardware and home improvement stores.
• Applicants must replace a functional, existing gas- or diesel-powered lawn mower with the new, cordless, battery-powered mower by surrendering the old mower to a program authorized dismantler.
• Electric mowers must be new and not previously used or owned.
For complete program guidelines, lists of eligible mowers and authorized dismantlers, visit the District's website at www.valleyair.org or call the District's grants program at 559-230-5800.