OKC Standard

Washington, D.C. - Rep. Bice (R-OK) introduced H.R. 4395, the Natural Gas Appliances Standards (GAS) Act. This legislation would address the Department of Energy's (DOE) effort to eliminate gas appliances and allow consumers to choose what type of stove, water heater, or furnace they prefer for their homes. This legislation was introduced in the Senate by Senator Barasso (R-WY), Senator Risch (R-ID), Senator Lee (R-UT), Senator Hoeven (R-ND), and Senator Cassidy (R-LA).

“The Biden Administration continues to try to control every aspect of our daily lives. My legislation will stop Biden’s Department of Energy from banning natural gas appliances, which provide a safe, reliable, and affordable energy source for nearly 187 million Americans," said Rep. Bice. "The natural gas industry plays a vital role in Oklahoma providing billions in economic impact for the state and over 100,000 jobs. I remain committed to reining in the overreaches of the executive branch.”

“Americans are fed up with President Biden’s nanny state. This important piece of legislation keeps government-knows-best radicals out of our kitchens and ensures that states like Oklahoma can continue to provide energy for all. Thank you, Representative Bice, for standing up for all of us.” said Brook A. Simmons, president of Petroleum Alliance of Oklahoma. 

“Natural gas has been one of the principal drivers to achieving our nation’s environmental and economic goals, and consumers deserve accurate and transparent information when it comes to the energy and appliances they use.” said Karen Harbert, president and CEO of the American Gas Association. “We applaud Rep. Bice’s work to safeguard affordable energy for consumers, and energy that will continue to benefit our nation’s energy goals and environmental progress.” 

“Americans are looking for solutions to today’s energy challenges, not intrusive government mandates that restrict consumer freedoms and jeopardize access to affordable, reliable energy. We applaud Representative Bice for introducing this commonsense legislation that helps ensure consumers have the freedom to continue to choose the type of appliances they prefer for their homes.”  said Lance West, API Vice President for Federal Government Relations. 

The Natural Gas Appliances Standards (Natural GAS) Act would:

• Require that DOE certify that any stove, water heater, or furnace energy efficiency rule would not result in fuel switching from natural gas to electric appliances.
• Specify that DOE may not put forward a rule that would limit the features of gas stoves, such as quick boil times, number and size of burners, and design of grates.
• Exempt small manufacturers from future energy efficiency rulemakings for stoves, water heaters, and furnaces; and,
• Require that existing energy efficiency labels displayed at the point of sale disclose full-fuel-cycle efficiency, rather than just point-of-use energy consumption. This comprehensive analysis would consider energy consumed to extract and transport fuels, energy losses in power generation, and energy losses in transmission and transportation.

Read the legislation here. 

Original source can be found here.