Landscape Equipment Exchange Program (LEEP) Description:

The Monterey Bay Air Resources District is pleased to offer LEEP to residents and commercial operations of Monterey, San Benito, and Santa Cruz Counties. This program provides financial incentives to replace old combustion landscape equipment (baseline) with new cordless, zero-emission equipment (replacement). In California, small off-road engines used in landscape equipment are a larger contributor to smog forming emissions than passenger cars. Exchanging old combustion landscape equipment with new zero-emission replacements will help ensure healthier, quieter communities.

Brief Overview of LEEP Guidelines:

1. LEEP program is administered following CMP Guidelines requirements found at: https://ww2.arb.ca.gov/guidelines-carl-moyer.
2. The LEEP process steps include pre-approval, exchange, and reimbursement:
   • Pre-Approval – applicants establish program eligibility, secure a financial incentive, confirm their understanding of their project’s rebate amount, and enter into a contract with MBARD by taking the first step to apply to the program and receiving pre-approval from MBARD staff
   • Exchange – the destruction of baseline equipment at a MBARD approved recycler and the purchase of the new, zero emissions equipment.
   • Reimbursement – the incentive amount is verified, with respect to the description of the baseline and the replacement’s final invoice. Each reimbursement request is initially reviewed by an Air Quality Planner or Air Quality Technician before receiving final approval from MBARD Accounting. Incentive payments will be disbursed by mail or as requested by the applicant.
3. Applicants must be an adult (18 years or older) at time of application and either a resident or (for the commercial program) have their primary place of business within Monterey, San Benito, or Santa Cruz County.
4. Residential applicants must be able to upload a legible copy of a current and valid government issued ID, and a copy of either a utility or cable bill from the last 3 months.
5. Commercial applicants must provide their Employer Identification Number or business license and the concurrent Official Business or Organization name when applying. Alternatively, a business can be verified if the Official Business or Organization name can be matched on the Contractor State License Board (CSLB) website, a fictitious name statement, or is registered with the local chamber of commerce. If a proprietorship, then provide a W9 to verify the business name and tax number.
6. Applicants must currently own and have operated baseline equipment in California for two (2) years prior to applying.
7. Applicants will be deemed ineligible if they have taken any action to procure, order, take delivery of, or purchase replacement equipment prior to MBARD’s approval.
8. An incentive of 80% of the purchase price, up to the maximum eligible funding amounts by equipment category, is available to eligible residents and commercial applicants.
9. Residential applicants may receive up to $2,000 in total incentives. Each residential applicant is limited to exchanging one (1) piece of equipment per equipment type category per household per calendar year.
10. Commercial applicants may receive up to $15,000 in total incentives. Each commercial applicant or entity is limited to exchanging one (1) ride-on or stand/sit mower and up to 10 baseline equipment from other eligible equipment categories per business per calendar year.
11. Residential applicants may include a maximum of one (1) extra battery or charger for each piece of equipment being exchanged. Commercial applicants may include a maximum of four (4) extra batteries and/or chargers for each piece of equipment being exchanged. Chargers with multiple bays allowing two or more batteries to be charged simultaneously will be counted as a single charger unit.
12. Baseline equipment must be operable, as determined by MBARD.
13. Baseline and replacement equipment must belong to the same equipment category.
14. Baseline equipment with a motorized shaft and interchangeable implements or tools, such as a “combi”, may be exchanged for a single piece of new cordless, zero-emission equipment. The motor alone may be exchanged if the old implements are compatible with the replacement motor.
15. Applicants must surrender baseline equipment to an MBARD approved recycling facility for scrapping and disposal before purchasing replacement equipment.
16. Applicants who scrap baseline equipment without prior authorization, or scrap their own equipment, are ineligible for LEEP incentives.
17. Inoperative equipment is not eligible for the LEEP for the LEEP program.
18. Applicants must dispose of all internal and associated fuel, fluids, and hazardous waste from baseline equipment before dropping off an MBARD approved recycling facility. Please utilize options made available by local municipalities and alert recycling facility staff if any internal and associated fuel, fluids, and hazardous waste remains in the baseline equipment.
19. All monies generated from the scrapping of baseline equipment is the property of the MBARD approved recycling facility.
20. Applicants must complete purchases online or in-store from local retailers with a brick-and-mortar store(s) within Monterey, San Benito or Santa Cruz County.
21. Applicants must complete and submit a Reimbursement Request Form within 30 days of their equipment purchase date or project funds will be forfeited and reimbursement will be rejected.
22. Applicants must agree to own and operate replacement equipment in California for a minimum of 36 months from the date of purchase. If the equipment is returned to the retailer, sold, lost, or stolen, MBARD must be notified immediately. In these instances, MBARD reserves the right to take all available measures to recover the entire incentive amount. Any fraud discovered will be penalized to the full extent of the law. Applicants agree to periodic audits by MBARD staff to verify ownership of replacement equipment.
23. Applicants must agree to allow MBARD the use of all pictures for promotional purposes.
24. By accepting the incentive, Applicants shall defend, indemnify, and hold MBARD, its officers, agents, employees and volunteers harmless from any and all losses, costs, damages, fines or expenses (including attorney fees, court costs and expert witness fees) or liability of any kind or character to any person or property arising from, or alleged to arise from, any use of replacement equipment and associated battery and/or charger.
25. The equipment categories and maximum eligible funding amounts are as follows: