Greener Living

The Electric Revolution Is Coming for Your Lawn Mower

California ban on gas-powered lawn tools takes effect in 2024
New rule may trigger debate similar to gas-stove controversy

A San Francisco Recreation and Parks worker uses a gas-powered mower to cut the grass at Golden Gate Park.Source: Getty Images North America

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By Simone Foxman

November 20, 2023 at 11:00 AM UTC

This article is for subscribers only.

It’s a perennial annoyance ruining quiet weekends in US suburbia: The roar of the neighbor’s lawn mower, the whine of a trimmer, the howl of the leaf blower.

If California has its way, the racket will soon be on its way out. The state, which has long been a leader in environmental policy, will become the first to ban the sale of new gasoline-powered lawn mowers and other landscaping tools starting next year.