The Wall Street Journal (reposted on Realtor.com) says several big cities are pursuing legislation to phase out natural gas for home cooking & heating, citing concerns over global-warming and climate change. According to the report, some states are pushing back against these bans by outlawing such municipal prohibitions (preemption) because they are overly restrictive and costly. The first such ban was passed by (as you might expect) by Berkeley, California in 2019.
“Arizona last year became the first state to pass preemptive legislation barring municipalities from banning new gas hookups. The Arizona Chamber of Commerce helped lead a coalition of businesses that pushed for the legislation, even though no bans were under consideration in the state at the time. Garrick Taylor, the chamber’s interim chief executive, said the legislation was born of concerns that bans would result in higher electricity costs and reduced energy choices for residents and businesses.”
“If you see something next door in California, there’s a chance that a municipality in your state is likely going to consider it,” Mr. Taylor said.
Click here to read the full story at Realtor.com.
Click here to read the full story at the Wall Street Journal.
