Tennessee Governor Signs Legislation Blocking Local Bans on Natural Gas Stoves
Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee, a Republican, has signed legislation prohibiting local governments from banning gas stoves.
The move comes after federal agencies have been in discussion on their 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.
State Republican Sen. Page Walley 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.”
“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.”
On March 20, Republican members of Congress Kelly Armstrong (R-N.D.) and Debbie Lesko (R-Ariz.) proposed legislation to stop any bans or strict regulations on gas stoves sold in the U.S.
“The Biden Administration’s extreme proposed regulation that will ban nearly every gas stove on the market is just another example of out-of-touch bureaucrats trying to control Americans’ everyday lives,” Lesko said.
‘Any Option is on the Table’
In January, U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commissioner (CPSC) Richard Trumka told Bloomberg that the appliance was 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.
Though Trumka said that products “that can’t be made safe can be banned,” he later walked back his statement in a Twitter post, stating, “To be clear, CPSC isn’t coming for anyone’s gas stoves,” adding 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 Biden administration has said President Joe Biden doesn’t support a ban on gas stoves.
The Environmental Protection Agency and the World Health Organization have both said 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 in 2021 to ban natural gas hookups in new buildings smaller than seven stories.
In May 2022, the Los Angeles City Council voted to ban most gas appliances in new constructions, a policy that also requires new homes and businesses to be furnished with electric stoves.
‘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 AGA said it would be “impractical” to ban gas stoves and called the RMI report “bad science.”
“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 said.
Jack Phillips, Chase Smith, and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
