The California Air Resources Board opened a new funding category offered through its Clean Off-Road Equipment Voucher Incentive Project (CORE), which will make point-of-sale discount vouchers available for zero-emission professional landscape service equipment.
This new funding category, administered by Calstart, has an allocation of more than $27 million in voucher funds for professional landscape services operated by small businesses or sole proprietors.
Professional landscape service equipment accounts for a significant percentage of greenhouse gas emissions and creates considerable noise pollution in the communities in which they’re operated. This new voucher incentive, set to open up for applications as early as late October, will help offset the initial purchase cost of alternative zero-emission equipment.
“Professional landscapers often operate on very tight profit margins and can find it challenging to upgrade to new technology,” said Jacob Whitson, Calstart’s lead project manager, “CORE’s new landscape voucher incentives will allow them to more easily adopt zero-emission professional equipment for their businesses, while in turn encouraging manufacturers to expand their offerings in this market.”
From CORE:
- Manufacturers are invited to submit an equipment eligibility application for the program. Once evaluated and approved, the zero-emission equipment will be listed on the CORE website as eligible for purchase using a discount voucher.
- Dealers interested in selling professional landscape equipment through CORE can also visit the website to schedule required training.
- Those interested in participating in the CORE project as an eligible professional landscape service manufacturer or approved dealer will need to apply by Oct. 21, 2022.
- Applications received after Oct. 21 will be accepted but the equipment or dealer may not be approved and listed in time for the opening of the program.
- The types of zero-emission professional landscaping equipment eligible for CORE vouchers include edgers, string trimmers, hedgers, chain and pole saws, handheld blowers and vacuums, backpack blowers and vacuums, walk-behind mowers, ride-on and stand-on mowers, chargers, power management equipment, batteries <700Wh and batteries ≥700Wh
