Reducing Emissions From Small Off-Road Engines

HB 2051 aims to reduce carbon emissions from outdoor power equipment by adopting Title 13 of the California Code of Regulation, which would classify specific pieces of equipment that will need to be replaced by zero-emission equipment beginning in 2027. The adoption of Title 13 would only apply the new standards to equipment manufactured on or after January 1, 2027, and would not prohibit the use or sale of older equipment. The bill specifically exempts chainsaws and generators and establishes a new grant program to ease the transition for local jurisdictions.

The U.S. EPA has sole authority to establish emission standards for engines used in new farm and construction equipment under 175 horsepower, creating some confusion concerning this bill. This means the emissions of many small engines under 25hp cannot be regulated by the bill, including many pieces of equipment important to county operations. To find out more about the specific pieces of equipment that would be subject to the bill, you can visit the California Air Resources Board website at the following links:

• SORE Applicability Fact Sheet
• List to Determine Preempt Off-Road Applications

The bill was heard last week in the House Environment and Energy Committee, and we raised some of the following requests and concerns in testimony:

• We support the specific exemption in Section (2)(a) for chainsaws and generators and requested that water pumps also be added.
• We prefer a broader exemption in Section 2 for all equipment used by a federal, state, or local government agency for emergency management or response.
• Much of the work counties do to prevent emergencies during inclement weather happens in the summer with maintenance of the rights-of-way. We would like to see an exemption covering equipment used for “vegetation management in the right-of-way.”
• We support Ecology’s ability to delay the date of these restrictions for certain equipment if there is no zero-emission power equipment available to perform a task. However, we would like the language to be clarified regarding how that determination will be made, and we requested that we be included in any process, study, or analysis to do that work.
• We support establishing a new grant program to ease the transition for local jurisdictions; however, we are concerned with the impact a proposed temporary sale and use tax exemption for zero-emission outdoor power equipment will have on local government revenue.

We agree that zero-emission power equipment is not only better for the environment but offers other significant benefits, but we have some remaining concerns about the potential impact on our daily operations. Counties are required to maintain public buildings, parks, and rights-of-way using outdoor power equipment. We must also have reliable equipment capable of responding to disasters, emergencies, and severe weather events when they occur. This bill might jeopardize our ability to get the job done and be ready to respond. We look forward to continued conversation regarding the language to further balance our shared goal to reduce emissions while still being able to respond to our mission.