(The Center Square) – House Republicans blasted a recently proposed federal regulatory effort to largely ban gas stove use for Americans at a hearing Tuesday and argued more rules of this kind are on the horizon.
House Oversight Subcommittee on Economic Growth, Energy Policy, and Regulatory Affairs Chairman Pat Fallon, R-Texas, led the hearing, calling the Department of Energy’s proposed gas stove rule the latest in a “tidal wave of regulatory burdens affecting Americans’ daily lives.”
“There are other rule-makings under consideration for dishwashers, refrigerators, water heaters, furnaces, air conditioners, and other household appliances under the guise of improving energy efficiency as proscribed by the Environmental Policy and Conservation Act, or ‘EPCA,’” he said. “The gas stove rule, in particular, presents alarming violations of EPCA and erroneous analysis according to the experts who testified in place of invited Department officials.”
“In doing so, the Department and Democrats appear to be endorsing ‘sue-and-settle-type’ practices of radical activist litigants,” Fallon added, referring to the practice by which federal regulators have expedited rule changes by inviting litigants to challenge regulations so they can negotiate an arrangement out of court that changes how the agency handles the issue.
As The Center Square previously reported, progressive activists have pointed to the environmental impact of methane released from gas stoves as well as research suggesting gas stoves could cause health issues like asthma.
A Harvard CAPS Harris survey from June reports that 69% of those surveyed opposed a gas stove ban.
After the hearing, the House Oversight Committee’s Republican staff released a document laying out the broad impact of the proposed rule.
“Estimated conversion costs associated with complying with new and amended standards for gas stoves exceeds $183 million. This would substantially impact consumer choice while requiring households to adapt to new infrastructure with costly consequences,” the staff said. “DOE’s own estimates project 96 percent of existing products on the market would be noncompliant if the proposed rule is finalized.”
Republicans also raised concerns about the origin of this regulatory effort.
“I’d respond by pointing out that many of the false and misleading studies that have been cited by this administration to support banning gas stoves were authored and paid for by radical environmental extremists and activists with an agenda to ban fossil fuels entirely,” Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., said at the hearing.
