While gas stove bans spread slowly city by city, the New York state legislature became the first in the nation to approve a ban on gas stoves across the entire state. On Tuesday, New York lawmakers approved the ban in many newly constructed commercial and residential buildings. The move, which is part of the state’s $229 billion 2024 budget, is meant to decrease the state’s use of fossil fuels and the harmful effects of gas stoves.
For gas stove fanatics, there’s no need to worry yet. The New York gas stove ban applies to new construction and will go into effect for buildings under seven stories in 2026. It will not affect taller buildings until 2029, and won’t apply to gas stoves already installed in homes.
For commercial buildings, there are some exceptions. “The budget requires exemptions such as emergency backup and standby power, [and] commercial food establishments” as well as other “critical infrastructure,” says Governor Hochul’s office.
The statewide ban follows a similar ban passed in New York City in 2021. That ban also has a delayed timeline and takes effect this December for buildings under seven stories and in 2027 for taller structures. New York City is not alone: More than 100 jurisdictions across the US have passed some form of legislation requiring zero emissions from buildings, in areas like Brookline, Massachusetts and Seattle, Washington.
Commercial and residential buildings contribute about 13% of all heat-trapping emissions, mostly from gas appliances like stoves. What’s perhaps more concerning about gas stoves is their effects on our health. While in use, gas stoves release nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide, and formaldehyde in harmful levels. Using a gas stove has proven to be harmful to cooks’ lungs, among other serious health risks.
The movement to ban gas stoves has been spreading across the country in recent years, often sparking heated partisan debates. Many Republicans argue that a ban on gas stoves is an overreach of governmental power, making the issue part of a newly drummed-up culture war around appliances. “Don’t tread on Florida, and don’t mess with gas stoves!” Ron DeSantis tweeted in January. “God. Guns. Gas stoves,” tweeted Jim Jordan that same day.
A gas stove ban in Berkeley, California, which was passed in 2019, was also overturned just a few weeks ago, when the 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals found it to violate the Energy Policy and Conservation Act of 1975. The judge claimed that by limiting the fuel source of stoves, the ordinance bypassed a federal law that gives the government authority to set energy-efficiency standards for appliances. President Biden’s administration has stated that he does not support a federal ban on gas stoves, but 20 states with Republican-controlled legislatures have passed preemptive laws that will prohibit bans on gas stoves.
It’s clear gas stoves remain incredibly popular—they’re used in around 40% of all US homes, and in a whopping 80% of American restaurants. But as gas stove bans continue to be considered in legislatures around the country, now at the state level, and as induction cooking becomes more popular, home cooks may need to find new methods of cooking. Who knows? Maybe they’ll like it after all.
