Gov. Kathy Hochul signs electric lawn equipment rebate law for landscapers

ALBANY — New York Gov. Kathy Hochul on Monday approved legislation that creates a rebate program for landscaping companies and local governments that transition from gas-powered lawn care and snow removal equipment to electric.

The law aims to incentivize companies to make the transition in an effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, improve air quality and reduce noise pollution, according to the legislative language.

"The rebate legislation I signed will encourage the purchase of cleaner and quieter battery-powered lawn mowers and other landscaping equipment that will benefit us all," Hochul said in a news release Monday.

The law — which also applies to nonprofits, universities and school districts — sets up a state rebate program for battery-powered equipment, including leaf blowers, lawn mowers, tree trimmers and snow blowers, as well as batteries and chargers.

The rebate amount will be set by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority, or NYSERDA, and will come from existing revenues. It will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis. There's no timeline for when the rebates will be available.

The law comes as communities across the state and Long Island have adopted local laws to ban or restrict the use of gas-powered equipment, largely due to noise and air pollution. Communities that have banned or restricted the use of gas-powered leaf blowers to certain months include the villages of Southampton and Greenport, and the Town of North Hempstead.

While the business community on Long Island has generally supported the idea of a rebate, some contractors are skeptical of the impact it will have.

"It’ll help some guys to make the transition, where they feel it’s appropriate," Evan Dackow, executive board chairman of the 1,000-member Landscape Contractors Association of Long Island, said in an interview Monday.

Much will depend on how much the rebate covers, Dackow said, adding that $100 "isn’t going to buy a battery."

Dackow, who owns Jolly Green Tree and Shrub Care in West Babylon, said some electric lawn equipment is effective — for example electric trimmers and weedwackers — but the technology isn’t there yet for other equipment like leaf blowers, that have to be on for longer periods of time.

"It’s a complicated thing," he said. "We’re waiting on the dollar amount. We’re waiting for the technology to progress."

Environmental groups applauded Hochul’s approval of the rebate bill.

"Making it easier for businesses, state agencies and local governments to purchase electric landscaping equipment will lower greenhouse gas emissions, help create quieter communities and reduce harmful air pollution across the state — especially for the landscapers who use this equipment every day," New York League of Conservation Voters President Julie Tighe said in the state's release.

Hochul Monday also signed into law a bill that allows the Dormitory Authority of the State of New York to borrow for the financing to construct facilities on Governors Island for the New York Climate Exchange. The nonprofit consortium led by Stony Brook University will promote climate education and research. The physical campus is expected to open in 2029, according to the news release.