NJ didn't ban gas stoves — despite claims from GOP lawmakers
New Jersey hasn't ban gas stoves. And state regulators haven't put forward any policy to do so.
That's despite claims from some lawmakers — mostly Republicans — that regulators were meeting to ban gas stoves and mandate home electrification last month. Instead, regulators passed a program requiring utility companies to offer financial incentives for conversions to more energy-efficient equipment, including hybrid systems that still use gas.
The political rhetoric comes amid an increasingly heated debate over Gov. Phil Murphy's climate priorities, with many Republicans and even some Democrats lining up against his plans for wind power, and for movement away from gas-powered cars.
But regulators with the state Board of Public Utilities say they're frustrated by misinformation, and that they've never considered a proposal to ban gas stoves, in new or old homes, or in commercial and industrial facilities. Your own kitchen setup and your favorite brick oven pizzeria are safe, they say.
