NAHB Supports Trump Administration’s Lawsuit Against Local California Gas Bans
In a move strongly supported by NAHB, the Trump administration on Jan. 5 sued two California cities over their ordinances banning natural gas infrastructure and appliances in new construction.
The lawsuit filed in the Northern District of California seeks to overturn the city of Morgan Hill’s and the city of Petaluma’s natural bas bans. The complaint asks the court to declare that the cities’ natural gas bans are preempted by federal law and enter a permanent injunction against their enforcement.
“NAHB commends the administration for ensuring that states and localities comply with federal law when regulating the use of natural gas in homes,” said NAHB Chairman Buddy Hughes. “In many parts of the country, gas appliances and gas heating equipment are more affordable and preferred option for home owners than electric units. The regulation of access to energy sources is a national issue. Individual cities, counties or states should not be establishing exclusionary energy policies that limit consumer choice.”
NAHB has also been fighting against these gas bans on the legal and legislative fronts to ensure that home owners around the country have access to all energy sources.
For example, in a major victory in the long legal battle over New York’s statewide gas ban for new homes, NAHB and the New York State Builders Association have secured a suspension of the new regulations while the case works through the appeals process.
On the congressional front, NAHB has championed the Energy Choice Act, legislation pending in the House and Senate that would prevent state and local governments from banning the use of natural gas energy in new homes.
In a press release announcing the lawsuit against the two California cities, Attorney General Pamela Bondi said: “Alongside the Department of Energy, the Department of Justice is working around the clock to end radical environmentalist policies, restore common sense, and unleash American energy.”
Read the full complaint here.