Democratic District of Columbia Attorney General Brian Schwalb revealed on Thursday that he has a gas stove in his home as the official defended his comments to the Consumer Product Safety Commission endorsing the agency’s efforts to regulate the appliances.
Biden administration officials induced backlash earlier this year when they floated new emissions rules for gas stoves, even as increased adoption of natural gas serves as a significant driver of lower emissions in the United States. Criticism over the move occurred when CPSC Commissioner Richard Trumka Jr. said in an interview that “any option is on the table” for a prohibition of the appliances, after which CPSC Chairman Alex Hoehn-Saric posted a statement asserting that the agency did not intend to outlaw gas stoves.
Schwalb and nearly one dozen other Democratic attorneys general submitted comments on forthcoming CPSC regulations supporting the creation of “voluntary standards or mandatory regulations that will reduce the emissions of harmful pollutants from gas stoves.” He asserted in an interview with CNBC that consumers should be informed about the risks from the appliances.
“The data and science tells us that gas stoves do in fact emit pollutants, creating indoor air pollution that can make people sick,” he told CNBC anchors Joe Kernen and Becky Quick. “This is an important issue of public safety and making sure consumers have clear information so they can make informed decisions about the appliances in their home.”
Kernen, who pressed the official on whether the primary intent of the CPSC rules was to eliminate harmful indoor air pollutants or to battle climate change by decreasing carbon dioxide emissions, asked Schwalb whether he has a gas stove in his own home. “I do have a gas stove in my house and I enjoy having a gas stove,” he responded. “I appreciate being able to be aware that there are risks associated with it so that I can protect my family.”
Some 38% of households nationwide currently use gas stoves, a figure which approaches 70% for states such as California and New Jersey, according to data from the Energy Information Administration. Families with a gas stove use the appliance an average of eight times per week.
Many of the attorneys general who endorsed the comments to the CPSC hail from states which recently initiated crackdowns on gas stoves. New York, for instance, prohibited the installation of gas stoves in new homes and buildings.
The admission from Schwalb about his own use of a gas stove came weeks after Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm, who has overseen the proposal of more restrictive efficiency standards for several other consumer appliances, likewise revealed that she has a gas stove when pressed by members of the House Appropriations Committee.
“This does not impact the majority, and it certainly does not say that anybody who has a gas stove would have their gas stove taken away,” she remarked. “There’s no ban on gas stoves. I have a gas stove. It is just about making the existing electric and gas stoves, and all the other appliances, more efficient.”
Energy Department officials contend that they are “preserving reliability and performance across household appliances and commercial and industrial equipment” while implementing the new regulations, which also apply to products such as dishwashers, vending machines, and electric motors. The Biden administration, which has established a “whole-of-government effort” to reduce carbon emissions, has drafted several similar crackdowns over the past two years.