(d) 3. ELECTRIC LEAF
BLOWER OUTREACH
RESULTS STATUS REPORT
Transportation & Environment Committee
November 4, 2024
Zach Struyk, Acting Director
Kate Ziemba, Senior Environmental Program Manager
Sarai Rojas, Power Resources Specialist II
BACKGROUND
• State Assembly Bill 1346: Effective January 1, 2024, new gas leaf blowers cannot be sold in California.
• However, dealers are allowed to sell equipment manufactured pre-2024, so you will still find gas equipment on the shelves.
• Electric leaf blowers are the alternative equipment.
• Staff conducted research and stakeholder engagement since the City Council requested this report in April 2024.
1 GAS LEAF BLOWER IMPACT ON WORKERS’
HEALTH
• Toxic compounds and pollutants
• High concentrations of carbon monoxide and particulate matter, carcinogens, and ozone.
• Cause headaches, dizziness, weakness, nausea, airway constriction, coughing, sore throat, shortness of breath, asthma, lung cancer, and cardiovascular disease.
• Noise
• Hearing loss. Just 2 hours of exposure can cause damage. • Continual exposure can cause stress, anxiety, depression, high blood pressure, and heart disease.
Sources: California Air Resources Board; Center for Disease Control; Journal of Environmental and Toxicological Studies 2
LANDSCAPING BUSINESSES IN SAN JOSE
• 1,377 landscaping businesses
with active licenses in San Jose.
• 1,286 have 5 or fewer employees.
• Largely Latino demographic
3 ECONOMICS OF SWITCHING TO ELECTRIC
Equipment Costs Annual Fuel &
Maintenance Costs
Total cost of ownership
(5 yrs.)
Electric $2,261 (includes
batteries and charger)
$126 $2,889
Gas $590 $2,708 $13,541
Source: Santa Cruz Coalition for a Healthy and Safe Environment 4 EMISSIONS IMPACT
Smog
• Smog emissions produced
by a single GLB operating
for one hour are equivalent
to those generated by a car
traveling over 1,100 miles
(LA to Denver).
Greenhouse gases
2021 San José Community-Wide GHG Emissions
All other transportation
Buildings
Process and fugitive
Solid waste
Wastewater treatment
Off-road vehicles
GLB emissions
2%
All other off-road
vehicles
98%
5%
<0.1% of total
emissions
5 ORDINANCES AND PROGRAMS IN THE REGION
• Many California cities and towns have implemented bans on gas leaf blowers citing noise, environmental, and health concerns.
• Nearby Los Gatos, Los Altos, Palo Alto, and Menlo Park; Oakland • Several Bay Area cities have programs to aid the adoption of electric leaf blowers.
• Post-purchase rebates for businesses and residents are most common
6 PROGRAM OPTIONS
• Residential incentive
• Education and training
Addresses upfront
cost barrier
Guarantees use of equipment
and emissions reductions
Ease of
implementation
Post-purchase
rebate
No No Easy
Voucher Yes No Medium
Trade-in
voucher
Yes Yes Hard
7 PROGRAM COST-EFFECTIVENESS
Scenario A Scenario B Scenario C Scenario D Scenario E
Electric
technology
100 ELBs used
for 10% of jobs
50 heat pump
water heaters
(residential)
100 ELBs used
for 25% of jobs
50 ELBs used
for 100% of
jobs
40 electric
vehicles
Incentive $1,000 rebate $2,000 rebate $1,000 rebate $2,000 trade-in voucher
$2,500 rebate
Lifetime
emissions
reduction (MT
CO2e)
259 371 648 1,295 2,347
8 NEXT STEPS
• Staff will continue to conduct stakeholder engagement and analysis to determine whether an electric leaf blower incentive should be included in the suite of SJCE programs and how to design such a program.
Specifically, staff will examine:
1. Likelihood and drivers for professional landscapers to participate in a trade-in voucher program and surrender their gas leaf blowers.
2. A pathway to recycle traded-in gas leaf blowers.
3. A residential program design that could incentivize homeowners to purchase an electric leaf blower for their landscaper to use at their homes, to reduce the burden on the small businesses.
4. Other program design options, like a post-purchase rebate. 9 QUESTIONS?
• Recommendation: Accept this
staff report on the status of the
leaf blower market in San José.
• Staff
• Zach Struyk, Acting Director
• Kate Ziemba, Senior Environmental
Program Manager
• Sarai Rojas, Power Resources
Specialist II
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