The suggestion to ban gas-powered stovetops nationwide in the United States has been debated by Congress, but the city of San Diego has already taken action by committing to eliminate almost all gas-powered building appliances, including stoves.
According to the Voice of San Diego, the City, under Mayor Todd Gloria’s 2022 update to the Climate Action Plan, aims to phase out gas stoves and eliminate almost all natural gas usage in buildings by 2035, including retrofitting existing buildings such as apartments, restaurants, and skyscrapers to run solely on electricity.
Retrofitting homes to phase out gas usage is a costly endeavor. By 2033, all gas stoves are required to be retrofitted, with a projected cost of $30,000 per home, as per the analysis of independent budget analysts in San Diego. This cost estimate is based on a study conducted in San Jose, where officials are also contemplating a ban on natural gas-powered appliances.
Additionally, the change is expected to be implemented via a mandate, requiring homeowners and building owners to bear the cost of removing natural gas connections and replacing appliances.
The ongoing economic recession has made it difficult for many Americans to afford basic necessities, let alone purchase new homes. To make matters worse, future homes will come at a much higher cost, with homeowners being compelled to bear the expense due to overreaching regulations. This exacerbates the already dire financial situation for many people.
Only 40-60% of the energy produced by a power plant reaches homes, with the rest lost in transmission and distribution. This makes electric stoves less eco-friendly than natural gas stoves, as it takes twice as much gas to generate the same amount of heat due to energy loss. It is more efficient to burn the gas directly in the home.
It is worth noting that using natural gas as an energy source results in fewer emissions of various types of pollutants and CO2 compared to other fossil fuels such as coal and petroleum. So, why is natural gas suddenly facing criticism and attacks? Some people believe that this may be due to the possibility that there is an agenda to restrict access to energy in the name of environmental protection, and you will be forced to pay for it.
Overall, the initiative to ban gas stoves is counterproductive from an environmental standpoint as it would ultimately result in the burning of even more gas and coal while raising costs for homeowners and building proprietors.
