The Push To Ban Gas Stoves

What happened? In January, the Consumer Product Safety Commission revealed it was considering a ban on gas stoves, citing their environmental and health risks, prompting major backlash. In March, the Department of Energy proposed new energy efficiency and emissions regulations for gas stoves. The rigid standards would essentially ban 96 percent of gas stoves currently on the market.

The risks: Proponents of regulation point to health risks associated with the air pollutants emitted by gas stoves. A recent study linked the usage of gas stoves to childhood asthma, but that study failed to consider the findings of an earlier, larger study that found no such correlation. The gases emitted when cooking with gas stoves have also been associated with global warming, putting gas stoves in the crosshairs of the climate agenda.

Pushback: Twenty-one state attorneys general have signed a letter to the Department of Energy opposing the regulations. The letter argues that the department’s cost-benefit analysis places too much weight on the social cost of greenhouse gases and therefore overstates the benefits of the regulations.

What now? More than 40 million U.S. households use gas stoves. The regulations, if implemented, will ban most gas stoves from the market and force a shift toward electric stoves. The Energy Department also seeks to regulate refrigerators and washer-dryers for similar reasons. These regulations impose high costs on citizens in order to cut a small percentage of greenhouse emissions, prioritizing climate goals over Americans’ livelihoods and the economy.