Paul Tonko: “I will start by saying I have good news for my colleagues across the aisle. The Department of Energy isn't banning gas…”

“I will start by saying I have good news for my colleagues across the aisle. The Department of Energy isn't banning gas stoves. It doesn't even have the authority to ban gas stoves. This amendment, like this whole bill, is political messaging. What DOE is doing is proposing a standard to make new residential gas stoves more efficient and cut gas waste, not to ban them. The proposed standard is so reasonable that half of the current models already meet it, including all entry-level models. They already meet the standard, and for those that don't meet the standard, manufacturers have until 2027 to upgrade their product line, so this really isn't anything outrageous. Also, DOE is required by law to review and update standards for appliances like refrigerators and air conditioning units. DOE is actually late with this stove standard. It was supposed to be completed in 2017, but we are glad they are working on it now. Models that meet the proposed standard consume 30 percent less energy than the least efficient models on the market. That is, indeed, significant. The full proposed rule, which also includes updated standards for electric and gas residential stoves and ovens, would result in up to $1.7 billion worth in savings for United States consumers and avert about 22 million metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions over 30 years of sales. I stand in deep opposition to this amendment.…”