ALBANY -- Commercial landscaping companies and governments on Long Island would be eligible for rebates to transition from gas-powered to electric lawn care and snow removal equipment, under a bill passed by the State Legislature.
"Gas-powered landscaping equipment emits a stunning amount of air pollution, not to mention the noise that blights communities across the state," Sen. Liz Krueger (D-Manhattan), who sponsored the bill, told Newsday in a statement. "This bill will make it easier for New York's landscaping companies to transition to cleaner, quieter equipment."
The proposed legislation -- which also applies to nonprofits, universities and school districts -- would set 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 bill aims to "reduce greenhouse gas emissions, improve air quality, and reduce noise pollution," according to the legislative language.
The rebate amount would be set by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority, or NYSERDA, and be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis. The funding would come from existing revenues controlled by NYSERDA.
The State Senate on Tuesday passed the bill by a 54-8 vote, and it was approved by a 99-42 margin in the Assembly on Monday. The measure will now head to the desk of Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul, whose office said she would review the bill.
Assemb. Scott Gray (R-Watertown) was among those who voted against the measure.
"If the product is appealing and the marketplace is doing a good job trying to move the product along, I think government is the last...entity that should step in and put its fingers on the scale in a private marketplace and try to drive customers to a certain product," Gray said on the Assembly floor.
Gray also cited concerns over the use of taxpayer dollars for the program as well as with the safety of lithium-ion batteries.
Statewide, over 69 communities, including several on Long Island, have adopted laws to ban or restrict the use of gas-powered equipment, Assemb. Steven Otis (D-Port Chester), the bill's sponsor said on the Assembly floor. "This bill will give landscapers in those communities, or landscapers anywhere else in the state who want to transition to electric equipment, some financial incentive to defray some of those costs as they compete in a changing market."
The bill also would save taxpayers money by lowering costs for school districts and municipalities purchasing new equipment, Otis said.
Long Island business and landscaping groups favor a rebate program as business owners struggle to meet new municipal restrictions along with the rising cost of gas and oil.
"We appreciate the focus on rebates over mandates and hope that this will provide some financial relief to small businesses in our region," said Stacey Sikes, acting president and CEO of the Long Island Association, a regional business nonprofit.
But transitioning to electric alternatives can be costly and those aren't always as effective, especially in cold or hot weather, said Evan Dackow, executive board chairman of the Landscape Contractors Association of Long Island, a 1,700-member organization.
Dackow, who owns Jolly Green Tree and Shrub Care in West Babylon, told Newsday more details are needed on what the rebate would cover. It will likely be "somewhat beneficial," he said. "By no means is this going to finance the entire electrification of a crew."