Congress is being asked to repeal parts of an Energy Policy and at the same time protect consumer fuel choices when it comes to purchases of appliances….especially gas stoves.
George Lowe, American Gas Association Vice President of Government Affairs and Public Policy testified before the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Energy and Commerce’s Subcommittee on Energy. The hearing focused on appliance and building policies.
“AGA calls on Congress to modernize the Energy Policy and Conservation Act, repeal Section 433 and protect consumer fuel choice while continuing to fund vital weatherization programs,” said Lowe in his written testimony. “Natural gas remains a cornerstone of affordability, reliability and sustainability for American families and businesses, and policy must reflect these realities rather than undermine them.”
Under the prior administration, the U.S. Department of Energy utilized various methods to shift the purpose of the appliance standard rulemaking process away from the plain meaning of EPCA and the statute’s overall intent in a way that harms consumers. The prior administrations’ DOE also supported model building codes that would effectively prohibit natural gas installation in new homes and commercial buildings and promulgated rules that would ban natural gas in new and renovated buildings.
In the United States today, natural gas meets more than one-third of the nation’s energy needs and is the most affordable source of energy for American families. The average household that uses natural gas for heating, cooking and clothes drying saves an average of $12,132 per year compared to the same home using electricity for those applications. This low cost has saved families a total of $125 billion over 10 years.
Watch the full hearing here and read Lowe’s full written testimony here.