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Bill banning small, gas-powered engines and generators heads to Governor's desk | KMPH
Bill banning small, gas-powered engines and generators heads to Governor's desk
by Liz Gonzalez
Wednesday, September 22nd 2021
6
VIEW ALL PHOTOS
AB1346 would ban the production of small, gas-powered engines used in lawn and garden equipment and generators. (Photo: FOX26 News Photojournalist Bert Montelongo)
FRESNO, Calif. (FOX26) — A bill is now on Governor Gavin Newsom’s desk that could disproportionately impact families in the Central Valley and nearby foothill and mountain communities.
Assembly Bill 1346 would end the production of gas-powered small, off-road engines--used in lawn and garden equipment and generators-- by January 1, 2024.
It would replace the gas-powered engines with zero emission battery technology.
"It doesn’t compare to what you’d get with a gas-powered unit,” says Robert Vasquez, with Jensen and Pilegard in Clovis.
Vasquez says the shop doesn’t just sell gas-powered equipment—it also services it.
"That’s really gonna affect our business if we lose generator sales due to emissions," Vasquez says.
As FOX26 News previously reported, PG&E customers in local mountain communities including Squaw Valley, Coarsegold and Oakhurst have been experiencing more power outages recently, since the utility changed the sensitivity settings on its power lines to prevent wildfires.
"Many people who live in the mountains rely on generators to kick on when the power shuts off, so a lot of their medical devices can operate even during a shutoff," says Fresno County Supervisor Nathan Magsig, who represents Eastern Fresno County.
Magsig is now among those calling on the Governor to veto AB 1346 – or request generators be excluded from the regulations.
"A lot of folks who create these laws forget that here in the Central Valley, it's over 100 degrees, many, many days during the summer. When the grid has to be shut down for one reason or another, folks have no other options when it comes to powering not only their air conditioning, but also their medical devices,” Magsig says.
The bill’s primary sponsors and co-authors represent districts in Southern California, the Bay area and Salinas.
Lawmakers representing the Central Valley either voted against AB1346 or were absent for the vote.
Governor Newsom has 30 days to sign the bill, veto the bill, or take no action.
Magsig says his office is in the process of reaching out to the Governor’s office to ask Newsom to veto the bill.
He’s now asking others to do the same.
Bill banning small, gas-powered engines and generators heads to Governor's desk
by Liz Gonzalez
Wednesday, September 22nd 2021
6
VIEW ALL PHOTOS
AB1346 would ban the production of small, gas-powered engines used in lawn and garden equipment and generators. (Photo: FOX26 News Photojournalist Bert Montelongo)
FRESNO, Calif. (FOX26) — A bill is now on Governor Gavin Newsom’s desk that could disproportionately impact families in the Central Valley and nearby foothill and mountain communities.
Assembly Bill 1346 would end the production of gas-powered small, off-road engines--used in lawn and garden equipment and generators-- by January 1, 2024.
It would replace the gas-powered engines with zero emission battery technology.
"It doesn’t compare to what you’d get with a gas-powered unit,” says Robert Vasquez, with Jensen and Pilegard in Clovis.
Vasquez says the shop doesn’t just sell gas-powered equipment—it also services it.
"That’s really gonna affect our business if we lose generator sales due to emissions," Vasquez says.
As FOX26 News previously reported, PG&E customers in local mountain communities including Squaw Valley, Coarsegold and Oakhurst have been experiencing more power outages recently, since the utility changed the sensitivity settings on its power lines to prevent wildfires.
"Many people who live in the mountains rely on generators to kick on when the power shuts off, so a lot of their medical devices can operate even during a shutoff," says Fresno County Supervisor Nathan Magsig, who represents Eastern Fresno County.
Magsig is now among those calling on the Governor to veto AB 1346 – or request generators be excluded from the regulations.
"A lot of folks who create these laws forget that here in the Central Valley, it's over 100 degrees, many, many days during the summer. When the grid has to be shut down for one reason or another, folks have no other options when it comes to powering not only their air conditioning, but also their medical devices,” Magsig says.
The bill’s primary sponsors and co-authors represent districts in Southern California, the Bay area and Salinas.
Lawmakers representing the Central Valley either voted against AB1346 or were absent for the vote.
Governor Newsom has 30 days to sign the bill, veto the bill, or take no action.
Magsig says his office is in the process of reaching out to the Governor’s office to ask Newsom to veto the bill.
He’s now asking others to do the same.
