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The California Air Resources Board (CARB) invites professional landscapers to participate in a workgroup to discuss recent updates to the small off-road engine regulations that will affect new engines used in landscape equipment. The workgroup will also discuss incentives for electric landscape equipment to assist landscapers with the transition to zero-emission equipment.
Professional landscapers are encouraged to join the workgroup and participate in its quarterly virtual meetings. The second virtual meeting of the landscaper workgroup will be at the date and time below:
Date: July 12, 2023
Time: 4:00 - 5:00 PM Pacific Daylight Time
Location: Virtual meeting through Zoom
CARB proposes to form a panel of landscapers who would participate in future workgroup meetings to make sure the meetings provide useful and relevant information for landscapers. Panel discussions may take place during a portion of each meeting.
CARB welcomes nominations for members to serve on the landscaper panel. Anyone may nominate a landscaper, and self-nominations are welcome. Landscapers that have experience with electric landscape equipment and incentive programs for landscape equipment are especially encouraged to consider serving on the panel.
CARB is seeking nominations for panelists representing three categories of landscaping business: sole proprietors, landscaping businesses with one crew, and landscaping businesses with two or more crews. Please include a description of the business, including number of employees, if any, and any experience with electric landscape equipment or incentive programs in your nomination.
Background
Small off-road engines (SORE) are spark-ignition engines with rated power at or below 19 kilowatts (25.5 horsepower) used in non-stationary equipment. Emissions from SORE have decreased by 50 percent since 2000 due to SORE regulations and increasing adoption of zero-emission equipment (ZEE). Further reductions of SORE emissions are needed despite this progress. CARB has adopted amendments to the SORE regulations that will transition SORE equipment to ZEE as soon as possible to achieve additional emission reductions.
You may view all rulemaking documents on the SORE rulemaking page. The SORE regulations include emission standards of zero for most new engines starting with model year 2024. The SORE regulations do not prohibit the use of existing CARB-certified equipment.
New engines smaller than 175 horsepower used in construction equipment or vehicles or farm equipment or vehicles are preempted from CARB’s emission standards and only subject to emission standards from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA). A list of equipment exempt from the SORE regulations under this preemption can be found on CARB's website.
Contact
Inquiries concerning the landscaper workgroup may be directed to landscaper@arb.ca.gov.
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