New York State could see a ban on gas stoves in new buildings and homes by the end of the decade as officials scramble to tackle climate change.
Gov. Kathy Hochul proposed the ban Tuesday during her speech to the state while outlining her plan to “realize the New York dream.”
The potential ban has been a contentious conversation in the US since federal officials dubbed the appliance a “hidden danger” and new research linked gas stoves to childhood asthma.
“Buildings are the largest source of emissions in our state and account for one-third of our greenhouse gas emissions,” Hochul said.
If passed, New Yorkers may see electric cooktops in the redevelopment by 2030.
Existing buildings would not be affected, so residents would not be forced to replace their stovetops.
Gov. Kathy Hochul plans to halt gas stoves in new developments. Hochul, 64, claimed the stoves contribute to a third of greenhouse gas emissions
New Yorkers and chefs jumping into new developments may not see electric stoves until 2030
Chefs in the Big Apple fear banning gas stoves in new developments, including restaurants, will affect food quality.
Food guru Stratis Morfogen, the executive director of Brooklyn Chop House, said the ban was a bad Yelp review waiting for it to happen.
“Electric can work for fast casual drivers. However, when it comes to fine dining, it’s impossible to make an electric kitchen work,” Morfogen told the New York Post. “Imagine a guest ordering two to three pounds of whole fish. It usually takes 40 to 50 minutes to cook. Now it takes two hours.”
He claimed that the electric stoves will “fuel it and stall growth and destroy our industry.”
Civetta Hospitality entrepreneur James Mallios added that he had cooked with an electric range before and the quality of the food was noticeably different.
“I’ve never dealt with electrics because they’ve never been able to do the same job,” Mallios told the news outlet.
The governor also plans to take her green agenda a step further by banning water heaters and oil stoves in new developments.
If Hochul’s agenda moves forward, New Yorkers can see a fossil fuel ban for new smaller buildings by 2025 and new larger buildings by 2028.
On average, nearly 13 percent of childhood asthma cases can be attributed to the toxins produced by gas stoves
As the contentious debate over gas stoves heats up, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre insisted Wednesday that President Joe Biden is not after Americans’ gas stoves.
“The President does not support the ban on gas stoves, and the independent Consumer Product Safety Commission does not ban gas stoves,” Jean-Pierre said.
Jean-Pierre’s comment was in response to Biden-appointed Consumer Product Safety Commissioner Richard Trumka Jr., who called the stoves a “danger” to children after the release of a study conducted by the commission.
The new Children’s Health Study found that around one in eight cases of childhood asthma in the US is due to air pollution from gas stoves.
This puts emissions from gas cooking at the same asthma risk level as inhaling secondhand smoke.
Asthma affects about six million children in the United States each year, and nearly 13 percent of them get it from inhaling the myriad of toxins that gas stoves emit every day.
About 100 cities and counties have passed policies that require or encourage a shift away from fossil fuel buildings. California will ban the sale of natural gas stoves and water heaters by 2030.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre insisted Wednesday that President Joe Biden is not after Americans’ gas stoves
US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) official Richard Trumka Jr. called gas stoves a “hidden hazard” and said a possible ban is under consideration
Natural gas traders and appliance manufacturers argued that banning natural gas stoves would drive up costs for homeowners and restaurants with little environmental gain.
The Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers, a trade group representing appliance manufacturers, found that gas stoves are usually cheaper to run than electric stoves and argued that “increased use of ventilation” was a better solution than a ban.
“A ban on gas cooking appliances would eliminate an affordable and preferred technology used in more than 40 percent of homes across the country,” AHAM spokeswoman Jill Notini told in a statement on Tuesday.
“A ban would not address the general concern about indoor air quality around cooking, as all forms of cooking, regardless of the heat source, produce air pollutants, especially at high temperatures,” she said.
Notini added that “a focus on increasing the use of ventilation is an effective solution to improve indoor air quality while cooking”.
The American Gas Association added that regulators have not provided documented evidence linking breathing problems to gas stoves.
“The US Consumer Product Safety Commission and EPA do not represent gas stoves in their technical or public information literature, guidance, or requirements as a significant contributor to poor air quality or hazards,” Karen Harbert, the group’s president, told Bloomberg.
“The most practical and realistic way to achieve a sustainable future of clean, safe, reliable and affordable energy is to ensure that natural gas and the infrastructure to transport it are included.”