Back by popular demand, the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District’s Clean Green Yard Machines program opened June 4 with more funding and more lawn mower options than ever before. 

The 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 is, by far, our most popular consumer program, and with this historic funding level, we’re able to help more Valley residents,” said Samir Sheirkh, the Air District’s director of incentive programs.

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. 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. Rebates are issued on a first-come, first-served basis.

Electric lawn mowers remove a significant amount of emissions from the air basin; for example, using a gas-powered mower for one hour can produce emissions equivalent to driving 40 late-model cars for one hour.

For complete program guidelines, lists of eligible mowers and authorized dismantlers, visit the District’s website at valleyair.org or call the District’s grants program at 559-230-5800.

For more information about the Air District, call the regional office in Modesto at 209-557-6400.