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Once the Consumer Product Safety Commission hinted it was were
considering a ban on gas stoves because the fumes cause
significant health risks, a nationwide debate was sparked. The
risks mentioned include cancer and respiratory illness, but the
strongest evidence they said links their use to childhood
asthma.
“As somebody who does support increasing regulations on gas
stoves, I know we need to be careful and not get out in front of
where the public is and I think that is what’s happened here,”
said Abe Scarr, state director for Illinois Public Interest
Research Group.
The American Public Gas Association released a statement that
said “those citing flawed and biased studies as the basis for
eliminating consumer choice of appliances are attempting to
force mandated electrification upon American consumers.”
Lawmakers in some Democratic states are moving to ban natural
gas stoves and furnaces in newly constructed buildings, as they
point to the effects of fossil fuels on the climate and human
health.
On the other side of the debate, home builders and gas utility
groups said the new restrictions will increase construction
costs in places where affordable housing is already in short
supply. Others worry about reliability issues with the electric
grid.
The White House went on record saying that it does not support
banning gas stoves. But the Inflation Reduction Act, signed into
law by the Biden Administration last year, allows for rebates of
up to $840 for the purchase of a new electric stove and an
additional $500 for the cost of converting a gas stove to an
electric one.
Scarr said he sees an eventual transition from natural gas in
homes, but the move should be gradual.
“It is important to do it at a pace that the public is
comfortable with and in a way that allows people to have choices
as we transition,” Scarr said.
Kevin Bessler reports on statewide issues in
Illinois for the Center Square. He has over 30 years of
experience in radio news reporting throughout the Midwest.
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