These small off-road engines (SOREs) also contribute significantly to the growing CO2 in the atmosphere. (HERE). In our Town of Fairfax,
In our last GHG inventory for the Town, we emit about 481 tons of carbon every year from these SOREs. And, when we were working on the Climate Action Plan, we had more than one person tell us we needed to focus on eliminating gas-powered lawn equipment, and to move towards all-electric equipment.
But, the State of California has beat us to it. State Law AB1346 will forbid the sale of any gas-fired SOREs beginning January 1, 2024. The state is also going to provide subsidies to help people and companies to transition towards electric alternatives, $30M this year. We have a little bit less than two years to prepare for the ban. Other states are starting to follow suit. Other Towns in Marin are already starting to require the USE of electric equipment right now.
So, we on the CAC are going to consider this issue tonight, at our meeting. We are going to think about how to help our people make this transition, and we are thinking about how to also move towards a requirement for use of all-electric equipment.
I grew up mowing lawns for college money; I know that smell of oil and gas well. The state has made a significant step towards driving down our collective carbon footprint, and now is our chance to help.
Join us tonight to be part of the discussion, and send us your comments.
Thank you for being part of the solution.