Rep. Debbie Lesko deserves a round of applause for ensuring the northwest Valley and the rest of the country will continue to have access to gas stoves.
Nearly 100% of gas stove models already on the market will meet the new energy efficiency standards recently announced by the federal government. It’s an outcome that was less than certain just a few months ago when the Biden administration signaled it would develop standards so strict that future sales of gas stoves would have been very much in doubt. Lesko led a bipartisan charge to push back against the administration’s overreach. The White House got the message.
But, this is about more than gas stoves. A gas stove ban would have set a terrible precedent for reduced energy choice, especially for our area of the Valley, which is experiencing significant growth among manufacturers, many of whom depend on affordable natural gas. It’s not hard to imagine a scenario where the feds ban gas stoves in homes, but then move to commercial settings and then block natural gas hookups altogether for businesses. The result? More expensive manufacturing processes. Higher utility costs. Fewer jobs.
