Biden admin implements stove regulation after insisting he's not trying to ban gas stoves

The Biden administration is poised to release a final energy efficiency rule for stoves after saying it has no intention of banning gas-powered models, according to The Washington Post.

The Department of Energy (DOE) is expected to publish the rules on Tuesday or Wednesday, in accordance with a court order requiring the agency to publish the rule by the end of January. seconds to the Post, which granted anonymity to its sources to discuss the matter. The administration proposed aggressive efficiency regulation for stoves in February 2023 and later promised that it is not trying to ban gas stoves, calling suggestions to the contrary “disinformation”.

According to the Post, the next rule will apply to stoves produced in 2028 and beyond, with electric stoves needing to use 30 percent less energy annually than the less efficient models currently in use. Gas ranges and electric ovens will have to use 7% less energy, and gas ovens will have to achieve a 4% reduction under the final rule.

The rules are likely to make certain models more expensive up front, but the government says the rule will save Americans money on their utility bills in the long run by reducing the amount of energy their stoves use, according to the Post.

Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) Commissioner Richard Trumka, Jr. kicked off a political firestorm in January 2023, weeks before the administration unveiled the original proposal when it suggested a possible de facto ban on gas stoves was on the table in a interview with Bloomberg News. The administration has repeatedly insisted it's a “myth” that the federal government wants to ban gas stoves ever since.

“The vast majority of stove models, both electric and gas, will meet the standard as it exists today without modification,” an anonymous DOE official told the Post. “Consumers will still be able to buy the same kitchen products.”

The rules won't target stoves currently on the market or in use in Americans' homes, according to the Post, but it's unclear how much the regulation will affect the types of stoves that are made and sold in the future

Beyond stoves, the Biden DOE has also sought to impose energy efficiency standards for items such as water heaters, ovensand pool pump engines. The administration has also spent hundreds of millions of dollars to help state and municipal governments pursue building codes aimed at “decarbonizing” buildings.

Neither the DOE nor the White House immediately responded to requests for comment.

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