Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee, a Republican, has signed legislation prohibiting local governments from banning gas stoves.
State Sen. Page Walley, a Republican, told The Epoch Times that the bill was prompted by concerns over the federal government’s talk of banning natural gas appliances based on what he called “flawed research.” Federal agencies have been in discussions about the stoves’ potential for emitting unsafe levels of air pollutants allegedly contributing to respiratory problems and climate change, allegations that have been criticized by Republicans and industry groups.
“I know that some federal agencies started to walk back their earlier assertions related to that, but we also know that a variety of jurisdictions across the country either already had or were considering a ban on what energy sources its citizens could use in their homes and their businesses,” Walley said.
“So, we wanted to make sure and be quite clear that Tennesseans are free to choose the type of energy sources and appliances they wish to use and that no subdivision of our state could limit that.”
According to Senate Bill 367, “A political subdivision of this state shall not adopt a policy that prohibits, or has the effect of prohibiting, based upon the type or source of energy to be delivered to or used by an individual customer: (1) The connection or reconnection of a utility service; or (2) The sale or installation of an appliance utilized for cooking, space, heating, water heating, or another end use.”
‘Any Option is on the Table’
In January, U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commissioner (CPSC) Richard Trumka told Bloomberg that the appliance is a “hidden hazard” and that “any option is on the table” regarding possibly banning or heavily regulating them following an official CPSC request for data on potential hazards and input for solutions on gas stoves.“To be clear, CPSC isn’t coming for anyone’s gas stoves,” he wrote, noting that regulations would apply to new products, while there are financial incentives available through the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) for anyone who chose to switch from gas to electric.
The IRA includes rebates of up to $840 for the purchase of new electric stoves.
The Environmental Protection Agency and the World Health Organization have both stated that natural gas stoves emit unsafe air pollutants such as nitrogen dioxide and carbon monoxide and could even leak methane when turned off.
In 2021, the New York City Council voted to ban natural gas hookups in new buildings smaller than seven stories.
‘Bad Science’
An environmental group called the Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) published a December 2022 study linking gas stove usage to asthma.The Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers and the American Gas Association (AGA) have both argued against a ban.
“The perpetuation of the allegations in this recent report, which is funded by non-governmental organizations working to advance their agenda to remove consumer energy choice and the option of natural gas, is not only advancing bad science, but is recklessly creating fear for homeowners without cause,” AGA stated.
