Democratic AGs Urge Federal Regulators to Take Action on Gas Stoves

A gas stove in a file photograph. Joe Klamar /AFP via Getty Images

In the wake of New York’s ban of gas stoves in most new buildings, attorneys general of several Democrat-led states are asking federal regulators to do more to explore regulatory options and warn Americans about the kitchen appliance’s potential health hazards.

“Gas stoves, unlike furnaces and water heaters, are not required to meet any voluntary or mandatory safety or performance standards related to emissions, other than requirements related to CO concentrations,” they wrote in a May. 8 letter (pdf) to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC).

The 21-page letter was co-signed by the attorneys general of the District of Columbia, Delaware, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New York, Rhode Island, Oregon, Vermont, and Washington, as well as New York City’s top lawyer Sylvia Hinds-Radix.

Specifically, the legal officers urged the CPSC to implement “uniform mandatory standards” for gas stove ventilation, including requiring gas stoves to be sold with a range hood that turns on automatically when a gas stove is in use. They argued that this is necessary for keeping indoor pollution levels in check, citing federal data that estimates less than a quarter of American households use their range hoods while cooking.

“Without such measures, voluntary standards cannot claim to be effectively eliminating indoor air pollutants sufficiently to be health protective,” they claimed.

The officials also asked the federal agency to increase “consumer awareness of the harms posed by gas stoves” by forcing manufacturers to put “more informative warning labels” on their products.

The idea is that combustion pollutants such as carbon monoxide (CO) and nitrogen oxide (NO2) are linked to respiratory illnesses, especially among children. Particularly, the letter pointed to a 2013 study, which found that children living in a home with a gas stove are 42 percent more likely to experience asthma symptoms than peers who live in homes with an electric stove.

“Manufacturers should be required to list all the potential gases emitted from a gas stove, the potential health risks associated with those gases, and that emissions can cause concentrations of indoor air pollution to reach levels above what is allowed by EPA for outdoor levels,” the letter reads.

In January, the CPSC already issued a request for public input regarding the alleged hazards associated with gas stoves and potential solutions. The agency also said at the time that it is open to a federal level ban on gas stoves.

“This is a hidden hazard,” CPSC head Richard Trumka Jr. said in an interview with Bloomberg. “Any option is on the table. Products that can’t be made safe can be banned.”

New York Passed First-in-Nation Ban

On May 5, New York became the first U.S. state to ban gas stoves after the Democrat-dominated state Legislature approved a budget proposal that includes a ban that applies to any new construction of buildings less than seven stories high in 2026, with few exceptions.

The ban covers more than just stoves, but a range of fossil fuel- and gas-powered appliances such as furnaces and water heaters. There are some big exceptions for facilities like restaurants and factories, and for buildings like hospitals and laboratories that require backup generators.

The move was applauded by environmental activists in favor of an aggressive agenda to phase out the use of fossil fuels to combat climate change. However, opponents of the ban have argued that it takes away consumer choice and will increase the cost of utilities since electricity is more expensive than natural gas in much of the Empire State.

“A first-in-the-nation, unconstitutional ban on natural gas hookups in new construction will drive up utility bills and increase housing costs,” said New York Senate minority leader Rob Ortt.

“The least transparent budget in recent memory failed to address the affordability crisis, does nothing to improve public safety, and imposes more big government mandates that threaten our economy,” Ortt added, questioning Gov. Kathy Hochul’s priorities.

Lee Zeldin, a former Republican congressman from Long Island and a former candidate for governor, also argued that the government should make it easier, not harder, for New Yorkers to use gas to fulfill their everyday needs.

“New Yorkers are struggling to heat their homes and put gas in their cars,” he wrote on Twitter. “Instead of approving new pipeline applications and reversing the state’s ban on the safe extraction of natural gas, Kathy Hochul and her allies are tripling down on kicking this state off the cliff.”

Federal Regulators’ Eye on Dishwashers

Amid the debate over gas stoves, the Biden administration has announced new efficiency regulations for dishwashers as part of its efforts to phase out the country’s reliance on fossil fuels.

The Department of Energy (DOE) said the new standards would help lower expenses for Americans due to lowered energy consumption.

“This Administration is using all of the tools at our disposal to save Americans money while promoting innovations that will reduce carbon pollution and combat the climate crisis,” Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm said in a May 5 statement.

Under the proposed rules, new conventional household dishwashers made in or imported into the United States would have to consume 27 percent less power and use 34 percent less water, while more compact models would need to have a 22 percent power reduction and an 11 percent water use reduction, starting three years after the publication of the final rule.

The change, according to an estimate by the DOE, means that people would have to spend $15 more for a new dishwasher but would see three times as much in energy savings over the machine’s lifetime. The agency said that the new rules would save consumers nearly $3 billion in utility bills over 30 years.

Carbon dioxide emissions over the time period in question would be cut by about 12.5 million metric tons, which is roughly the combined annual emissions of 1.6 million homes, while saving about 240 billion gallons of water, the DOE said.

The dishwasher rule comes alongside new requirements for electric motors and beverage vending machines, which the DOE stated would reduce carbon emissions by an additional combined 94.7 million metric tons over 30 years.

The DOE stated that it will hold an online hearing on the proposed rules on June 8, while opening the proposal for public comment.

Tom Ozimek of The Epoch Times contributed to this report.