Close Menu
Technology Mag

    Subscribe to Updates

    Get the latest creative news from FooBar about art, design and business.

    What's Hot

    Microsoft starts rolling out Xbox age verification in the UK

    July 28, 2025

    Sony details its ‘FlexStrike’ wireless PS5 fight stick

    July 28, 2025

    Can we ever trust an AI lawyer?

    July 28, 2025
    Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram
    Subscribe
    Technology Mag
    Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram YouTube
    • Home
    • News
    • Business
    • Games
    • Gear
    • Reviews
    • Science
    • Security
    • Trending
    • Press Release
    Technology Mag
    Home » US Cities Seeking to Ban Natural Gas in New Buildings Just Got a Big Win in Court
    Science

    US Cities Seeking to Ban Natural Gas in New Buildings Just Got a Big Win in Court

    News RoomBy News RoomApril 3, 20253 Mins Read
    Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Reddit WhatsApp Email

    This story originally appeared on Grist and is part of the Climate Desk collaboration.

    Cities looking to eliminate fossil fuels in buildings have notched a decisive court victory. Last week, a federal judge dismissed a lawsuit brought by plumbing and building trade groups against a New York City ban on natural gas in new buildings. The decision is the first to explicitly disagree with a previous ruling that struck down Berkeley, California’s first-in-the-nation gas ban. That order, issued by the 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals in 2023 and upheld again last year, prompted cities across the country to withdraw or delay laws modeled after the Berkeley ordinance.

    While New York City’s law functions differently from Berkeley’s, legal experts say that this month’s decision provides strong legal footing for all types of local policies to phase out gas in buildings—and could encourage cities to once again take ambitious action.

    “It’s a clear win in that regard, because the 9th Circuit decision has had a really chilling effect on local governments,” said Amy Turner, director of the Cities Climate Law Initiative at Columbia University’s Sabin Center for Climate Change Law. “Now there’s something else to point to, and a good reason for hope for local governments that may have back-burnered their building electrification plans to bring those to the forefront again.”

    In 2021, New York City adopted Local Law 154, which sets an air emissions limit for indoor combustion of fuels within new buildings. Under the law, the burning of “any substance that emits 25 kilograms or more of carbon dioxide per million British thermal units of energy” is prohibited. That standard effectively bans gas-burning stoves, furnaces, and water heaters, and any other fossil-fuel powered appliances. Instead, real estate developers have to install electric appliances, like induction stoves and heat pumps. The policy went into effect in 2024 for buildings under seven stories, and will apply to taller buildings starting in 2027.

    Berkeley’s law, on the other hand, banned the installation of gas piping in new construction. The first-of-its-kind policy was passed in 2019 and inspired nearly a hundred local governments across the country to introduce similar laws. But the ordinance quickly faced a lawsuit by the California Restaurant Association, which argued that gas stoves were essential for the food service industry. In April 2023, the 9th Circuit court ruled in favor of the restaurant industry, holding that federal energy efficiency standards preempted Berkeley’s policy. In January 2024, a petition by the city of Berkeley to rehear the case on the 9th Circuit was denied.

    Berkeley’s law, which was struck down by the 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals, banned the installation of gas piping in new construction.

    Photograph: Robert Nickelsberg/Getty Images

    Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn WhatsApp Reddit Email
    Previous ArticleVerizon now offers a three-year price lock — but there’s a catch
    Next Article Universities are giving up the fight for free speech — students aren’t

    Related Posts

    Florida Is Now a Haven for Unproven Stem-Cell Treatments

    July 28, 2025

    The ICJ Rules That Failing to Combat Climate Change Could Violate International Law

    July 27, 2025

    There’s Neuralink—and There’s the Mind-Reading Company That Might Surpass It

    July 26, 2025

    Trump and the Energy Industry Are Eager to Power AI With Fossil Fuels

    July 25, 2025

    A Top NASA Official Is Among Thousands of Staff Leaving the Agency

    July 24, 2025

    Newly Discovered ‘Infinity Galaxy’ Could Prove How Ancient Supermassive Black Holes Formed

    July 24, 2025
    Our Picks

    Sony details its ‘FlexStrike’ wireless PS5 fight stick

    July 28, 2025

    Can we ever trust an AI lawyer?

    July 28, 2025

    Mario Kart World and Switch 2 edition Zelda games are 10% off

    July 28, 2025

    The Tiny Super Pocket Neo Geo Edition Is Affordable Retro Fun

    July 28, 2025
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Pinterest
    • Instagram
    • YouTube
    • Vimeo
    Don't Miss
    News

    Temu users face a ‘high risk’ of finding illegal products, EU says

    By News RoomJuly 28, 2025

    Temu users in the European Union are at “high risk” of coming across illegal products…

    Trump’s Anti-Bias AI Order Is Just More Bias

    July 28, 2025

    Florida Is Now a Haven for Unproven Stem-Cell Treatments

    July 28, 2025

    This Brand-New TCL QLED Has the World’s Slimmest Bezels

    July 28, 2025
    Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram Pinterest
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms of use
    • Advertise
    • Contact
    © 2025 Technology Mag. All Rights Reserved.

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.