You could get paid to switch to an electric lawn mower. Here’s how to apply
Residents can get up to $250 in rebates for lawn mowers using electricity rather than gasoline in most of the San Joaquin Valley.
The region’s Air Pollution Control District also has smaller incentives for electric weed trimmers, edgers, chainsaws and pole-mounted saws.
The program seeks to reduce some of the emissions that have made the Valley one of the nation’s most polluted regions And the latest version coincides with a run-up in fuel costs.
“With gas prices at record highs, swapping out your old gas-powered lawn care tools for electric ones is a great way to help improve air quality and save money,” district Executive Director Samir Sheik said in a news release.
The program, Clean Green Yard Machines, is throughout the Valley from San Joaquin to Kern counties. The rebate is up to $500 in the higher-need areas of Shafter and south-central Fresno.
The release noted that a typical gas mower emits as much as 12 late-model cars running at the same time. Electric devices rely in part on power from fossil fuel plants, but solar, wind and other sources are expanding.
The rebates can be as much as $250 for residents who certify through local recyclers that their old mowers have been dismantled. For noncertified mowers and other equipment, the rebates are up to $25 for models costing $100 or less and $50 for those over $100.
The dismantlers in Stanislaus County are Modesto Junk and Universal Service Recycling, both on Ninth Street, and Truck & Ag Vehicle Recycling on Beard Avenue.
The total funding for the fiscal year that started July 1 is $620,000, said Jaime Holt, chief communications officer for the district. The money comes from fees paid to the California Department of Motor Vehicles.
Application and other details are at www.valleyair.org/CGYM. Residents also can call 559-230-5800 or send an email to grants@valleyair.org.
