California set the stage for the change with its new emissions rules for lawn equipment back in 2007, and the Environmental Protection Agency followed suit by setting new standards to go into effect in 2011 or 2012. Now the proposed Greener Gardens Act could take the change even further by offering consumers a 25% tax credit for choosing alternative-fuel engines for their lawn, garden and forestry power equipment.
Although most people are familiar with plug-in lawn mowers, they may not be the most ideal option for those with larger yards. When we bought ours, we were advised to get an extension cord no longer than 50 feet because its length can result in energy loss. Such limitations likely exclude many gardeners, not to mention that most people simply don’t want to deal with the risk of accidentally mowing over the extension cord.
