Biden admin quietly revises gas stove analysis, reduces projected benefits

The Biden administration quietly revised its data analysis of gas stove regulations it proposed earlier this year, showing they would produce fewer consumer savings than previously projected. 

The Department of Energy (DOE) filed a notification of data availability as part of its ongoing gas stove rulemaking this week, showing that Americans will save 30% less than it said they would under the regulations when they were first proposed in February. The agency’s new analysis showed consumers are now expected to save just 9 cents per month under the gas stove regulations.

‘The newly released DOE analysis revises downward the potential energy savings from its original cooking product rulemaking proposal, showing that the savings are even less than DOE originally projected and are almost negligible,’ the Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers (AHAM), a leading industry group, said in a statement shared with Fox News Digital on Wednesday.

‘The changes in energy savings projected by DOE primarily result from DOE recognizing that the currently available cooking products are more efficient than its earlier analysis assumed,’ the statement added.

AHAM added that, while the DOE revised the projected savings to come from its rulemaking, the agency is standing by its proposed standards which may be finalized in the coming months. The group also called on the DOE to ‘reconsider the extremely stringent levels’ it proposed so manufacturers may be able to continue providing quality products to consumers.

‘Consumers still stand to lose features and access to many currently available gas cooking appliance models — in exchange for saving only pennies each month — if the proposed standard takes effect,’ AHAM continued.

On Feb. 1, the DOE proposed the regulations, saying they would go into effect in 2027 and save Americans up to $1.7 billion while curbing greenhouse gas emissions. However, the agency was immediately hit with criticism from industry groups like AHAM, free market organizations, and both Republicans and Democrats.

In June, the House overwhelmingly passed the Save Our Gas Stoves Act, which was introduced by Rep. Debbie Lesko, R-Ariz., which would block the Department of Energy from implementing tougher conservation standards on stoves. Companion legislation co-led by Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., is making its way through the Senate.

‘The federal government has no business telling Americans how to cook their dinner. Unfortunately, the Department of Energy has chosen to enter into America’s kitchens with a proposed rule that would push out gas stoves,’ Manchin said on June 14.

‘While I appreciate that these rules would only apply to new stoves, my view is that it’s part of a broader, administration-wide regulatory effort to eliminate fossil fuels,’ he continued.

Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm has pushed back on criticism, saying she owned a gas stove and that the regulations would impact 50% of current gas stove models. The DOE has also argued it is required to put forth such regulations under the Energy Policy and Conservation Act which mandates energy efficiency rules while not harming consumer choice.

In comments filed with the DOE in April, a coalition of 18 energy and consumer advocacy organizations stated the gas stove regulations do harm consumer choice and strip away product features consumers enjoy.

‘EPCA does not mandate a new energy conservation standard for cooking products, but permits one only if it benefits consumers. This is not the case here,’ the groups wrote. ‘The proposed rule would almost certainly compromise some of the features that gas stove users want, and all for the sake of saving an insignificant amount of energy.’