Biden admin moves to ban gas stoves, citing clean energy policy, switch will cost U.S. households

The Biden administration is considering a ban on gas stoves, citing concerns about the kitchen appliances emitting harmful indoor air pollutants.

The change is being proposed through the administration's Consumer Product Safety Commission, according to Bloomberg News.

"This is a hidden hazard," says agency Commissioner Richard Trumka Jr. "Any option is on the table. Products that can't be made safe can be banned." 

Natural gas stoves are used in about 40% of U.S. homes.

Reports from such groups as the Institute for Policy Integrity and the American Chemical Society say the stoves emit air pollutants such as nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide and fine particulate matter at levels the EPA and World Health Organization have found unsafe.

The emissions have also been linked to childhood asthma and other respiratory problems. 

The federal agency plans to open public comment on the issue later this winter. Meanwhile, there is a bipartisan call in Congress for an alternative to having Americans buy an electric stove, which costs about $400.

Lawmakers have asked the commission to consider requiring warning labels, range hoods and performance standards and say gas-stove emissions a "cumulative burden" on black, Latino and low-income households that disproportionately experience air pollution, Bloomberg also reports.