RELEASE: Colorado among states leading transition to electric lawn care

DENVER – As leaves fall – and leaf blowers roar – in neighborhoods across Colorado, CoPIRG Foundation unveiled a new interactive map Wednesday showing progress on transitioning away from highly polluting, noisy, gas-powered lawn equipment. The map highlights more than 200 policies and programs in 26 states plus Washington, D.C., ranging from restrictions on leaf blower use and bans on the sale of gas-powered equipment to financial incentives for cleaner, quieter electric equipment. Colorado has more than 20 policies and incentive programs in place, more than most states.

“We shouldn’t pollute our air and endanger our health just by doing everyday yard work. We have better options,” said CoPIRG Foundation Clean Air Advocate Kirsten Schatz. “Action from legislators, the governor’s office, air quality regulators, cities and utilities has made Colorado a leader when it comes to ditching dirty gas-powered lawn mowers and leaf blowers in favor of cleaner, quieter electric lawn care.”

The map highlights the financial incentives Colorado is using to effect change. They include the statewide point-of-sale 30% discount on electric lawn equipment, the Regional Air Quality Council’s Mow Down Pollution grant program, and generous rebate programs at more than a dozen rural electric cooperatives.

State agencies and local governments on the Front Range are leading by example and will stop using gas-powered push mowers and handheld tools during the summer – when ozone pollution often spikes to unhealthy levels – starting in 2025. In addition, the mountain communities of Aspen and Carbondale have banned the use of gas-powered leaf blowers.

“Colorado is at the forefront of developing and implementing innovative ways to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions and harmful air pollutants like ground-level ozone,” said Michael Ogletree, the director of the CDPHE Air Pollution Control Division. “Now is the time to take action against climate change and local air pollution to protect the future of our communities for years to come.”

Big business is getting on board, too. Lowe’s recently released a corporate responsibility report revealing that it has shifted its product lines substantially in recent years. Now, 60% of the outdoor lawn equipment (excluding riding mowers) that it sells is electric or battery-powered. The local Ace Hardware stores participating in Colorado’s 30% discount program report that their electric equipment sales are projected to increase by more than 20% in 2024, with these products now representing 75% of the market. The Home Depot confirms it is on track to meet its goal that 85% of outdoor power equipment sales in the U.S. and Canada will be electric by 2028.

Beyond the map and a new list of detailed policy recommendations, CoPIRG Foundation is releasing a new series of educational videos. In the videos, Jordan Champalou, who owns Westminster-based Electric Lawn Care, demonstrates his cost-effective all-electric setup. Champalou uses solar panels on the roof of his equipment trailer to charge batteries for his lawn mower and handheld landscaping tools while out on a job. 

“It’s time to make our lawn equipment as ‘green’ as our lawns,” said Schatz. “The goal should be 100% emissions-free lawn equipment. Mowing the lawn and cleaning up leaves should not pollute our communities.”

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