Democrat Attorneys General Support Nationwide Gas Stove Crackdown

Eleven Democratic state attorneys general issued comments to the Consumer Product Safety Commission on Monday endorsing the agency’s efforts to regulate natural gas stoves.

Biden administration officials provoked controversy earlier this year when they introduced new emissions rules for gas stoves, even as increased adoption of the fuel serves as a significant driver of lower emissions in the United States. Backlash over the move emerged when CPSC Commissioner Richard Trumka Jr. said in an interview that gas stoves are a “hidden hazard” and declared that “any option is on the table” for a ban, after which CPSC Chairman Alex Hoehn-Saric posted a statement asserting that the agency did not intend to outlaw gas stoves.

The attorneys general nevertheless said in comments on forthcoming CPSC regulations that they support the development of “voluntary standards or mandatory regulations that will reduce the emissions of harmful pollutants from gas stoves” which worsen indoor air quality. The officials added that the CPSC should “increase consumer awareness of the harms posed by gas stoves through more informative warning labels and public education.”

Some 38% of households nationwide currently use gas stoves, a figure which approaches 70% for states such as California and New Jersey, according to data from the Energy Information Administration. Families with a gas stove use the appliance an average of eight times per week.

…

The attorneys general cited multiple legislative efforts to regulate the appliances, including a “net-zero building code” in Washington, D.C., that will effectively “ban most natural gas use in new buildings,” as well as a similar law in New York that will prohibit the installation of gas stoves in new homes and buildings.