Two Democratic state Minnesota lawmakers have introduced bills that would ban the sale of gas-powered equipment. This would include lawn mowers, ice resurfacers (commonly known as Zambonis), leaf blowers, chainsaws and trimmers. The bill would require that all of that equipment would have to be electric in order for them to be sold in the state.
The legislation suggests starting the ban on fossil fuel-powered lawn equipment at the start of 2025. Minnesota farmers are largely against the idea.
One energy and environmental specialist says the gas-powered mower ban wouldn’t really affect residents in urban cities with small yards, but would largely impact rural Minnesotans who own country land that needs equipment with better sustainability than what electric mowers can offer.
This idea isn’t new. California has already banned gas-powered lawn equipment. The state’s Air Resources Board claimed emissions from using gas-powered lawn equipment for one hour was the equivalent of driving a car for 100 miles.
