US utilities urge Congress to maintain legality of gas stoves.
American gas utilities are rallying support to keep gas stoves in operation, as the Biden administration pushes for their elimination to combat climate change.
Natural gas companies are mobilizing their political allies in Congress to prevent any restrictions on gas stove usage, according to federal records.
Gas utility companies are concerned that banning gas stoves is just the beginning of a larger phaseout of natural gas, as climate change activists push for greater electrification of the energy system.
Leftist climate change activists have now set their sights on natural gas consumption, following the destruction of the U.S. coal industry under the Biden administration.
Biden Admin Considers Ban On Gas Stoves
About 69 percent of Americans oppose a government ban on gas stoves, according to a June poll conducted by the Harvard Center for American Political Studies and Harris.
The controversy erupted in January when the White House hinted at a nationwide ban on gas stoves, citing a report linking their use to health risks such as asthma.
A high-ranking official at the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) suggested that a ban on gas stoves could reduce air pollution, but the agency’s head denied this statement.
It was later revealed that the agency had been considering a ban on gas stoves for several months.
The backlash intensified after the Department of Energy introduced new regulations in February that would impose stricter energy efficiency standards on new gas stove models by 2027.
However, the Energy Department clarified that it had no plans to ban gas stoves and dismissed the accusations as “absurd.”
Gas-burning stoves are offered for sale at a home improvement store in Chicago, Ill., on Jan. 12, 2023. (Scott Olson/Getty Images)
Gas stoves account for less than 1 percent of natural gas consumption in the United States, and over 47 million households, or 38 percent, use gas for cooking, according to the Energy Information Administration.
In 2020, American families used 88.3 billion cubic feet of gas for cooking at home, which amounted to only 0.3 percent of that year’s total gas consumption of 30.5 trillion cubic feet.
Gas Utility Companies Lobby
Gas utility companies like CenterPoint Energy, CMS Energy, and other trade groups have been actively lobbying Congress to support bills such as the Save Our Gas Stoves Act, which was passed by the House with a vote of 249-181 last month.
At least 29 Democrats joined 220 Republicans in supporting the act.
Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-Ark.) introduced companion legislation in the Senate, with the backing of Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.).
The legislation, sponsored by Rep. Debbie Lesko (R-Ariz.), prohibits the energy secretary from finalizing, implementing, or enforcing the proposed rule titled “Energy Conservation Program: Energy Conservation Standards for Consumer Conventional Cooking Products,” which would effectively remove most current gas stove models from the market.
The Energy Department would also be prevented from introducing standards that would ban kitchen ranges or stoves based on the type of fuel they use, including gas stoves.
The House also passed the Gas Stove Protection and Freedom Act by a vote of 248-180, which prevents the CPSC from using federal funds to regulate gas stoves as banned hazardous products under the Consumer Product Safety Act.
The White House has expressed opposition to any legislation on gas stove regulation, but it has not indicated whether President Joe Biden will veto these bills.
Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-Wash.) during a hearing in the Rayburn House Office Building on Capitol Hill in Washington on July 25, 2019. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-Wash.), a supporter of the legislation, emphasized that gas stoves are affordable and effective, and banning their use would push many households into poverty.
“Gas stoves are an integral part of how nearly 187 million Americans prepare their food, valued for their affordability and reliability,” said Mr. Newhouse.
“The proposed transition to more expensive alternatives, as suggested by the Biden administration, would impose significant financial burdens on American households.
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