“No way in Hell you are going to put a wok on an electric stove!” argues Sam Wo Chinatown’s Steven Lee.
California’s ongoing battle over gas stoves has been reignited once again.
Last August, AB-2513 passed through both the State Assembly and the State Senate. The bill would prohibit the sale of gas stoves manufactured or sold online on or after January 1, 2025, or sold in a store on or after January 1, 2026, unless said stove bears an adhesive label “that sets forth a specified statement relating to air pollutants that can be released by gas stoves.” The bill was the brainchild of Assemblywoman Gail Pellerin (D), who represents California’s 28th Assembly District.
One can liken the bill to similar restrictions which have been imposed on tobacco companies. While special interests have not been able to successfully facilitate an outright ban on tobacco products, they were successful in sponsoring legislation like the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act which requires companies to include graphic health warnings on cigarette packages and marketing materials—effectively forcing tobacco companies to advertise against themselves. That law, enacted to discourage sales of a product in the interest of public health, was to tobacco what AB-2513 is to gas appliances.
Natural gas hookups have been in the crosshairs of environmental groups for some time. “Gas stoves create pollution in our homes and this increases the risk of childhood asthma and other respiratory problems for our family,” argued Jenn Engstrom, state director of California Public Interest Research Group, in a piece by FOX Business. “A lot of people just aren’t aware of this pollution, and we think that consumers deserve the truth when it comes to the dangers of cooking with gas stoves so they can make good decisions and properly protect their families.”
However, the proposed shift to all-electric hasn’t been well-received by California’s diverse culinary scene and restaurateurs—many of whom belong to ethnic minority groups—who argue that such legislation would savagely harm their businesses. Los Angeles’ own effort has been dubbed “an assault on good cooking” while San Francisco’s was deemed “outright impossible for many ethnic foods.”
“No way in Hell you are going to put a wok on an electric stove!” argues Steven Lee, an investor in the historic Sam Wo Chinatown restaurant.
“We are all for clean air and everything, but small businesses get hit hard with bills like this, especially Chinese and other ethnic restaurants,” Lee told the San Francisco Chronicle. “There are not a lot of opportunities for mom-and-pop entrepreneurs. What if they want to go into a new building at the Chase Center or Pier 70 or Candlestick when they build that? They won’t be able to.”
“The wok itself is really essential to Asian cuisine,” argues Leo Lee, who owns a Cantonese BBQ restaurant in downtown Los Angeles. “By taking gas away, you’re telling us we cannot use woks anymore, essentially taking away our identity and heritage. It forces us to adapt to American culture.”
Even Spanish-American celebrity chef José Andrés has spoken out against the push to electric—a move he describes as “California crazy.”
“Without a gas connection and appliances, Zaytinya would be forced to alter its signature five-star menu, which it is unwilling to do. Zaytinya cannot compromise the caliber of its cuisine and reputation,” said an attorney representing Andrés regarding the chef’s Palo Alto restaurant, which had installed gas lines before city officials changed the building codes to prohibit them.
Newsom must have understood the negative impacts that AB-2513 and similar legislation would have on minority-owned food establishments, as he ultimately vetoed the bill. Despite the blow dealt to eco-groups, the contest is only just heating up.
While an outright statewide ban remains—as of yet—little more than of a pipe dream, climate activists continue to pursue small-scale victories at the local level. Last year, the City of Irvine voted unanimously (minus Councilmember Mike Carroll, who was absent) to go all-electric for most new buildings and developments, effectively making Irvine “the first city in Orange County to make the transition away from fossil fuels in new construction.”
While Irvine may be the first in Orange County, it’s one one of many in a growing coalition of California cities who have taken action to phase out natural gas, including San Francisco, Sacramento, Riverside, San Jose, Santa Cruz, Carlsbad, Pasadena, Glendale, and many more, according to reporting by the Sierra Club. The measures are not all uniform across all cities, and almost all provide at least some exceptions for certain types of buildings—with the exception of one notable city.
In 2019, Berkeley passed the most drastic measures of any city in the nation. In what was once lauded by left-wing outlets as a “landmark ordinance” and “historic move,” Berkeley’s City Council voted unanimously to become the first U.S. city to ban natural gas altogether. It’s since been repealed.
In 2023, the Ninth Circuit struck down Berkeley’s ordinance, arguing that federal law (the Energy Policy and Conservation Act) preempts the Berkeley ordinance. City officials appealed, but it was to no avail—a three-judge panel declined to reconsider their case.
But the anti-gas lobby won’t be deterred. Already, the environmental law organization Earthjustice is touting the methods by which they can orchestrate natural gas bans through other approaches. One such example is taxation—a tactic to which environmentalists in Berkeley were quick to pivot.
A group called Fossil Free Berkeley quickly qualified Measure GG, which would impose a nearly $3 tax for every “100 cubic feet of gas consumed in buildings 15,000 square feet or larger starting January, 1, 2025.” Voters resoundingly rejected the controversial measure by a nearly 40% margin.
“Natural gas has been one of the primary drivers for achieving environmental progress, and any ban on this foundation fuel will saddle consumers with significant costs for little environmental gain,” said Karen Harbert, American Gas Association President and CEO. “The natural gas industry has led the way in reducing our nation’s emissions, and we will continue to innovate and advance technologies to help ensure Americans have access to the efficient and reliable energy they need and expect.”
That won’t be the end of the conversation—neither in Berkeley nor throughout the state. Energy is, both literally and figuratively, power. Those who set and control California’s energy policies will shape everything from the buildings we inhabit to the food we eat.
They will also shape whether or not many Asian and Mexican/Latin-American restaurants will remain in business.
Perhaps that is why SoCal Edison—the main electric utility company for much of Southern California and a huge advocate for (and beneficiary of) policies that expand and increase our dependence on the electric grid—is hard at work publishing articles about how electric appliances “spice up” Mexican food.
