The Energy Department put the gas stove debate on the front burner again Wednesday by proposing new efficiency standards for consumer cooking appliances.
The proposal comes just weeks after a consumer safety official at another agency sparked backlash from Republicans, as well as some Democrats, by floating the possibility that new gas stoves could be banned.
The proposed standards, which focus on energy consumption, would require that both gas and electric stoves meet certain efficiency thresholds. The proposal also suggests new standards for gas and electric ovens.
“As required by Congress, the Department of Energy is proposing efficiency standards for gas and electric cooktops — we are not proposing bans on either,” a department spokesperson said in a statement. “The proposed standards would not go into effect until 2027 and cumulatively save the nation up to $1.7 billion. Every major manufacturer has products that meet or exceed the requirements proposed today.”
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The department said in the proposal that it had “tentatively concluded” the proposed standards represented meaningful gains and that they were "technologically feasible and economically justified, and would result in the significant conservation of energy.”
Read the full story here at NBCNews.com.
