With more than a 70% market share, gas ranges are the most prevalent cooking method in California single- and multifamily homes. Gas stoves have been promoted for years, despite their inefficiency and the increased awareness of gas cooking’s negative impact on a home’s indoor air quality.
Induction cooking devices offer an alternative to gas cooking, however, delivering ~85% of the energy they consume to heat the food directly compared to ~32% for gas, according to the ENERGY STAR® program.
Cooking represents the highest profile end-use in an all-electric home and serves as a linchpin technology to full electrification for the State of California. In coordination with California’s decarbonization goals and targeted reduction in natural gas usage, induction cooking is an efficient, safe, superior way of cooking that does not compromise indoor air quality.
CalMTA’s Induction Cooking market transformation initiative (MTI) seeks to grow market adoption of these efficient and affordable alternatives in Californians’ kitchens. Barriers to that adoption include higher product purchase cost due to the predominance of premium products, needed technical improvements on some models, and the cultural associations of cooking traditional dishes over an open flame.
CalMTA is planning strategic interventions to meet these barriers. These include engaging manufacturers to develop lower-priced models and building awareness about the benefits of induction by deploying consumer education campaigns, which will include demonstrations, in partnerships with current programs, community-based organizations (CBOs), and local governments.
They also include working to ensure that induction stoves are accessible and affordable in environmental and social justice (ESJ) communities. This will require partnering with community-based organizations and carefully planned strategy pilot studies to understand the manufacturer, supplier, construction, and consumer voices in ESJ communities.
We envision that all new homes in California will be built with electric induction cooktops and most sales of all cooktops sold in the State will utilize induction technology. Read the Induction Cooking MTI Plan FAQs to learn more.
The Induction Cooking MTI was submitted for application to the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) in December 2024. Upon approval, the MTI would advance to Phase III: Market Deployment.
CalMTA’s Phase II research for the Induction Cooking market transformation initiative (MTI) identified key barriers to adoption, including low consumer awareness of induction technology and its benefits, cultural and consumer attachment to gas cooking, and concerns about the durability of newer induction products. To address these challenges, CalMTA sought to test interventions
CalMTA’s exploration of the Room Heat Pumps and Induction Cooking market transformation ideas (MTIs) identified engaging retailers to stock and promote these targeted technologies as a key intervention point for influencing consumer adoption. The Geographic Targeting Using ESRPP for Room Heat Pumps and Induction Cooking Program Strategy Pilot was developed
The Induction Cooking fact sheet describes the opportunity, technology, market transformation strategy and equity considerations for this initiative. With more than a 70% market share, gas ranges are the most prevalent cooking method in California single-family and multifamily homes. Gas stoves have been promoted for years, despite their inefficiency and
The California Market Transformation Administrator (CalMTA) develops and manages market transformation initiatives in the state to reduce energy use and reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
CalMTA follows a rigorous process for reviewing, scoring, and then developing relevant, timely market transformation initiatives. The process supports market transformation initiative creation from concept to program development to market deployment, as well as the eventual exiting of the market.
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CalMTA
Resource Innovations
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Half Moon Bay, CA, 94019
(888) 217-0217
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