Is cooking with gas or electricity greener?
 

I live in California, and I have always been told that cooking with natural gas was more efficient and better for the environment than using electricity. But now I have a community aggregator for my electric source, and I am purchasing what is supposed to be 100% renewable electricity. Of course, that electricity comes to me through the PG&E grid, so that adds another complication.


So my question is: if I can switch some of my cooking to electric appliances (fry pan,electric oven) am I moving in an environmentally-friendly direction? I have a gas range with a large oven, which I use for baking and braising, but I also have an electric wall oven, as well as a microwave.


I know there are some very savvy scientific thinkers here. Any advice?

*This is just a superficial understanding on my part. There may be others who know for sure.*

On cooking results, gas is better for stovetop. Gas stoves have a better response to heating up and cooling down. Roasting, braising is better with a gas oven for the same reason. Baking is more consistent with electric.

Being environmentally conscience, I'm not so sure. My city did the same and the bill didn't make a dramatic change (I don't check the details) but my city didn't say 100% renewable, just green. That means no coal/petroleum produced electricity, the power generators may be using natural gas to produce electricity which is cleaner but not renewable in a meaningful way.

Thanks for your comments, AnonYMouse. Your understanding parallels my own. Our supplier offers two levels of "greenness", 50% and 100%. I pay a small premium for the 100%, but it is hard to measure the actual impact. It may just be making me feel more virtuous! :)

Take a look at an instant pot and an airfryer. They're electric but far more efficient than a gas oven, cooking in less than half the time on average. But no cakes.

Use a pressure cooker. More efficient use of whatever energy source.

I think the answer to your question lays beyond the kitchen walls.
Gas, we all know where it comes from and what it does to the environment.
Electricity, can be produced 100% from renewable sources or 100% from hidrocarbonates.
So, you must know how your electricity is produced.
All the publicity and low price campaigns between production and your kitchen can be just a scam, unless you are 100% sure about its sources.

I suppose one could argue that electricity can be "greener", especially if it is generated by wind or solar, or even nuclear, for that matter, as they have no carbon emissions.

Even if you have fossil fuel generation, the amount of carbon released per unit of energy produced is lower than it is in your stovetop (we have a gas stovetop now, and I love it).

Just being a gadfly here, but have you considered hacking, or buying a solar stove/oven? Being in sunny California, it could be a way to get a lot of your cooking or baking done without using any plugs in the wall. Solar ovens can bake bread, roast meat and all, but like old fashioned cooking in a fireplace (old fashioned meaning 1700's) you need to actually watch it, not dump it inside the box and run off. I know of many "hip" gormands who do the whole "horno" and outside brick pizza oven thing. We used to bring this kind of solar oven out camping. Why not? Solar Cooking | National Geographic - YouTube

Becoming a vegetarian has a hugely bigger positive impact on the environment than choice of cooking energy.