If you are among the two-thirds of households that cook on an electric stove, you may not care. That is, unless you are concerned about climate change. The incremental changes “cooking with gas” households will be asked to make, will be for the sake of our health and the planet. The movement to eventually end the use of gas stoves in all kitchens (residential and commercial) stems from the desire to mitigate methane gas emissions affecting climate change.
According to the BBC’s Future Planet | Climate Change, article (8/21) “The search for the world’s largest methane sources”:
“Around 60% of the world’s methane emissions are produced by human activities – with the bulk coming from agriculture, waste disposal and fossil fuel production. Human-caused methane is responsible for at least 25% of today’s global warming, the Environmental Defense Fund estimates. Staunching those emissions, a new Global Methane Assessment by the United Nations Environmental Programme stresses, is the best hope for quickly putting the brakes on warming.”
Nowhere does the article say anything about cooking with gas in home or commercial kitchens.
In fact, the article goes on to state that:
“Scientists stress that major reductions in both carbon dioxide and methane are critical for averting extreme climate change … The easiest gains can be made by fixing leaky pipelines, stopping deliberate releases such as venting unwanted gas from drilling rigs, and other actions in the oil and gas industry, the UN report says.”
Municipalities are passing restrictions
However, since those things don’t appear to be a priority for the oil and gas industry, local municipalities have taken up the cause to make strides to cut the use of natural gas in future developments. More than 76 US cities/municipalities, 54 in California alone, have placed bans on natural gas in new developments. Some bans go well beyond stoves, like New York City’s ban that includes stoves, gas water heaters and gas heating systems. Since buildings in that city produce 70% of the greenhouse emissions, they chose a bold move. Pushback is coming from professionals chefs, training in the art of cooking on high-end gas ranges.
What does all this mean for homeowners?
For the one-third of homeowners who currently use a gas range, it may not affect you any time soon. The impact will come when you choose to build a new home or go shopping for a home in a new development. For instance, in 2019, the City of Mill Valley, CA, banned new gas hookups in new residential construction.
The County of Marin has more of a mixed bag of restrictions. According to the Sierra Club’s site, they offer, “three compliance pathways for newly constructed buildings in unincorporated buildings: one for all-electric construction, one for limited mixed-fuel construction that has fewer efficiency requirements because it uses less gas but allows gas stoves, and one for mixed-fuel construction that requires the most strict compliance with Cal Green Tier 1 and electrification-readiness requirements.”
The site also states that San Anselmo “Promotes all-electric housing by requiring higher energy efficiency requirements for mixed fuel projects and prewiring for al electric kitchens.”
The most recent city to implement gas restrictions is the City of Fairfax, which “requires all newly constructed residential and commercial buildings to be all-electric, starting March 1, 2022, with an exemption for commercial kitchens.”
Currently, if you decide to remodel your home with a kitchen makeover, if you already cook with gas, the restriction won’t affect you. You already have your hookup.
Is a traditional electric stove the only option?
Remember, currently, you won’t need to worry about a gas stove alternative unless you are building or buying a newly constructed home. If you are, and you also loathe the thought of cooking on an electric burner, you may want to consider an induction stove top. According to an online article from Good Housekeeping, on the pros and cons of induction stove tops, “Induction cooking takes place on a flat glass surface equipped with heaters. The heating coils are powered by electromagnetic energy that’s only activated by the iron in cookware. When the iron makes contact with the active heaters, the iron particles agitate causing the pan to heat up quickly.”
Some of the pros are increased energy efficiency, a high level of control (important for someone used to cooking with flame), faster cooking times and safety features. You can still have your wall oven paired with an induction unit or separate range. You’ll want to do your homework, but with all the renewed interest in gas stove alternatives a wealth of information is out there.