What’s the future of your gas stove in Chicago?
CHICAGO — The debate over the future of gas stoves in Chicago has been heating up in recent months.
Under one proposal, called the “Clean and Affordable Buildings Ordinance,” the City Council could ultimately ban gas stoves in all new construction projects.
Chicago is not the only government agency looking at ways to limit gas emissions. Last year, New York became the first state to ban natural gas and other fossil fuels in new buildings.
Prominent Chicago Chef Rick Bayless made the transition in his restaurants years ago.
“We wanted to make everything as environmentally friendly as possible,” said Bayless, whose eateries include Frontera Grill. “I fell in love with induction because I think that’s where we are headed for the future.”
Chicago’s proposal would establish emissions limits for any new construction.
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Gas stoves wouldn’t meet those standards – meaning electric or induction stove tops would replace them and potentially replace other gas appliances.
“This just touches new construction and then rehabs of incredibly large buildings,” said Ald. Matt Martin (47th), who supports the proposal.
But some alderman question if it’s too much, too soon.
“If we want to talk about new construction – let’s talk about 5-10% of the construction so we can measure and see what works,” said Ald. Gilbert Villegas (36th).
Villegas said he has support for a resolution that would table the current ordinance proposal by creating a task force to study its impact. That’s expected to come up next month.
The debate doesn’t center solely around climate. Dr. Juanita Mora wrote a paper on the potential health risks associated with gas stoves.
She says the real concern lies within some of Chicago’s largest minority communities – with families living in tight spaces with poor ventilation and gas cooking a large part of everyday life.
“I tell people let’s follow the science because the science tells us we have good studies that show especially kids with developing lungs have a 42% risk of developing asthma,” she said.
The debate over gas stoves has intensified in recent years. But the Citizens Utility Board claims utility companies have been aware of the potential health risks for decades.
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They point to a memo they recently unearthed from the 1970s that mentions concerns “with a variety of liquid, solid and gaseous pollutant emissions from several sources.”
In a statement to WGN, People’s Gas said, “We share the concerns about forcing Chicagoans to go “all electric” that have been expressed by many aldermen, union workers and business leaders. This proposed ordinance would increase costs and risk reliability for everyone, especially during the coldest days of the year like Chicago saw in January. “
“A lot of unanswered questions in my mind in terms of what leaders knew and what they’re advocating for to make sure our homes are as healthy as possible,” Martin said.
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