The Energy Department said in a press release that 97 percent of gas stoves and 77 percent of electric stoves on the market already meet the requirements it is proposing.
This is down from the 50 percent of gas stoves on the market it estimated would be impacted by the rule last year.
The actual efficiency requirement for the gas stoves is also weakened, now allowing stoves that use 1.77 million British Thermal Units (BTUs) of energy per year, up from only allowing 1.204 million BTUs in its initial proposal.
The rule only applies to new stoves being sold and would not force households whose stoves do not meet the standards to get rid of their existing appliances.
The final rule’s requirements for smooth electric cooktops remain unchanged from the initial proposal, though in the final rule, the department also jettisoned a proposed standard that would have affected electric stoves with coils.
Read more in a full report at
TheHill.com.
