Earlier this year, we wrote about the bizarre, seemingly out-of-nowhere, "green," left-wing push against gas stoves. The issue arose not because conservatives invented something out of nowhere, but because a Biden administration bureaucrat talked about it openly in an interview. Republicans noticed this and "pounced," in media parlance, prompting an inevitable round of an increasingly familiar leftist two-step: (1) Insisting that something is a myth invented by conspiratorial right-wingers, while (2) also arguing that the nonexistent conspiracy myth is actually good and necessary. We've seen this phenomenon play out on CRT, sexual indoctrination of children in classrooms, and other matters. Both parts of this equation happened in rapid succession, with journalists and fact-checkers "explaining" why Republicans were wrong and misleading to take note of what Democrats were saying and doing. I called this "gaslighting that involves literal gas."
Just weeks later, we highlighted a proposed Biden administration regulation under which the Department of Energy "acknowledged that roughly half of all gas stoves on the U.S. market today would not meet its proposed cooking appliance efficiency" requirements. Matt recently drew attention to another related Biden proposal governing gas furnaces which could effectively prohibit "between 40%-60% of the current residential furnaces on the market currently." Remember, all of this is a myth. A myth for which there are notable exemptions for favored special people, as Leah reminded us in amplifying this story:
In Palo Alto, California, local administrators have given an exemption to celebrity chef José Andrés that will allow his new restaurant to use gas stoves. "Faced with a threat of a lawsuit, Palo Alto administrators have reversed their earlier decision and will now allow the new restaurant that chef José Andrés plans to open at Stanford Shopping Center to use natural gas," Palo Alto Online reported. Simon Property Group (SPG) originally applied to build the restaurant in 2019, receiving local approvals before the city council revised the building codes which required all new buildings to be electric. The developer installed a gas line into the building before city officials instructed that the building would have to be updated to the new code...The attorney continued by arguing how it would alter the "caliber" of the food and would force the five-star restaurant to change its menu. "Without a gas connection and appliances, Zaytinya would be forced to alter its signature five-star menu, which it is unwilling to do," Shimko wrote. "Zaytinya cannot compromise the caliber of its cuisine and reputation, and if SPG cannot provide gas in Building EE, Zaytinya will likely choose not to locate within the City..."
Famous (and 'progressive') chefs with many connections and the means to wage legal battles can win exemptions from leftist governing bodies. Small, up-and-coming restauranteurs and chefs likely wouldn't enjoy such clout, making it harder for them to establish names for themselves while cooking their very best food, laboring under new regulatory burdens that competitors are allowed to skirt. We've witnessed multiple new developments in the mythical war against gas stoves, which -- remember -- isn't happening, except where it is:
Biden Admin Backs City of Berkeley in Bid to Ban Gas Stoves https://t.co/au5D4MW7hP
— Washington Free Beacon (@FreeBeacon) June 13, 2023
The Biden administration is supporting a liberal California city's plan to ban gas stoves, arguing in federal court that such bans do not violate federal law and thus can be replicated in states and cities nationwide. Officials from President Joe Biden's Department of Justice and Department of Education filed a joint brief in federal court on Monday arguing in favor of Berkeley, California's ban on natural gas in new buildings. Berkeley in 2019 became the first U.S. city to enact such a policy, but a federal court struck it down in April, finding that federal law prevents cities and states from restricting natural gas appliances. The Biden administration's brief calls on the court to overturn the ruling.
"Nobody is taking away your gas stove," chortled the most powerful Democrat on Capitol Hill, back in February. "At first you have to laugh at the ‘gas stove ban’ narrative being cooked up by the MAGA GOP,” Chuck Schumer wrote in a statement. A few months later, the Biden administration is going to bat for gas stove bans in federal court. Schumer represents New York, a state dominated by Democrats. Mere weeks ago, CNN published this headline: "New York becomes the first state to ban natural gas stoves and furnaces in most new buildings." Ah. The crazy, made-up MAGA GOP freakshow theory was correct. Yet again. Schumer wasn't the only Democrat on the Hill to ridicule Republicans for paying attention to the words and actions of Democrats on this front. For a few news cycles it was a favored progressive punchline. But when faced with legislation preventing the Consumer Product Safety Commission from finalizing a rule banning gas stoves, the overwhelming majority of House Democrats voted 'no' in late May. The "myth" becomes more real each day.
