State legislators say they are discussing the gas stove ban because supporters claim it would reduce emissions and combat what they call man-made climate change.
"30% of state greenhouse gas emissions come from buildings," the governor's office told Politico earlier this year.
Legislators in both houses want to ban gas stoves in new construction through a series of phases. For example, a ban would go into effect in new smaller buildings in 2025. For new buildings with seven or more stories, the ban would start in 2026. A ban on gas stoves in industrial and commercial properties would begin in 2029.
But as Jeff Stier, a New Yorker with the Consumer Choice Center, points out, gas is a mainstay of cooking in The Big Apple, much like in the rest of the country.
"It is safe, and it's an efficient way to cook your food," he states.
Stier, whose work experience includes time in Rudy Giuliani's administration in New York City, says he used to get into discussions with people about climate change and the reforms they thought were needed.
"I remember perhaps exaggerating a bit and saying, 'Next thing you know, you're not going to let us cook our food using gas,'" Stier recalls. "I could never have imagined that the day has come where it's actually a proposal that is advancing in the extreme New York, but also in the other states."
California is another state considering the idea.
Meanwhile, Stier notes that New York is not immune to electricity problems during and after big storms. So if the state replaces gas stoves with electric ones, then it is asking for trouble.
