Gas stoves became yet another chip in the culture wars during the Biden administration when a political appointee suggested restrictions on the kitchen appliances might be warranted because they harm indoor air quality.
Now Colorado voters will decide whether roasting their Thanksgiving turkeys and scrambling their eggs on a gas stove are constitutional rights after a conservative political interest group gathered enough signatures to put the issue on the November ballot.
Because Amendment 82 would add to the state constitution, it needs at least 55% approval from voters to pass in the November election.
What would Amendment 82 do if passed?
If the measure passes, an amendment would be added to the Colorado Constitution that gives people the right to use natural gas to heat or to cook in their homes and businesses. It would also give oil and gas companies and utility companies such as Xcel Energy the constitutional right to sell natural gas.
Colorado is shifting away from natural gas as a heating and cooking source in homes and commercial buildings as part of its overall strategy for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Burning natural gas produces nitrogen oxides, which mix with volatile organic compounds in high heat to form ground-level ozone. That pollution contributes to climate change and harms human health.
No government entity in the state has moved to ban gas stoves or furnaces in people’s homes.
However, Colorado and Denver have created green-building rules to nudge large commercial buildings away from natural gas. The state is also pushing homebuilders to construct homes that do not use natural gas.
How much would it cost?
There would be no specific fiscal impact to the state, according to the Colorado Legislative Council, but does say Amendment 82 could slightly increase costs for state agencies, including to revise their technical guidance to local governments on building codes.
What do supporters say?
The ballot measure was pushed by Advance Colorado, a dark-money conservative group that is funded, in part, by billionaire Philip Anschutz, whose family made its fortune in the oil and gas industry.
Proponents say natural gas provides reliable and affordable energy for Colorado residents and businesses and that state and local governments should not limit its use. They have also maintained that natural gas is a clean energy source for Colorado.
What do opponents say?
Environmentalists oppose the measure because burning fossil fuels releases greenhouse gases that damage the Earth’s atmosphere and cause global warming. Fossil fuels also harm human health, causing lung diseases such as asthma.
Other opponents argue that special interests such as the oil and gas industry should not be protected by the state constitution.
