The Trump administration is suing two California cities over ordinances that ban the use of natural gas piping and appliances in new buildings, despite the fact that both cities said they have not enforced those bans in several years. <\/p>\n
In a lawsuit filed Jan. 5<\/a> in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, the Department of Justice said natural gas bans in the cities of Petaluma and Morgan Hill are \u201cradical measures\u201d that drive up costs for consumers and conflict with federal energy policy. <\/p>\n Natural gas, which is mainly methane, is a major cause of climate change when it leaks out without being burned. When it is burned in stoves, the emissions are a leading source of smog and indoor air pollution and have been linked to health issues such as respiratory infections and increased childhood asthma. <\/p>\n Morgan Hill, in Santa Clara County, banned natural gas for new buildings in 2019. Petaluma, in Sonoma County, followed with a similar ordinance in 2021. <\/p>\n \u201cThese natural gas bans hurt American families and are outright illegal,\u201d Atty. Gen. Pam Bondi said in a statement. \u201cAlongside 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.\u201d<\/p>\n The lawsuit stems from a 2025 executive order<\/a> issued on President Trump\u2019s first day in office titled \u201cUnleashing American Energy,\u201d which seeks to remove \u201cburdensome and ideologically motivated\u201d Biden-era energy regulations and maximize the development of domestic resources \u2014 particularly fossil fuels such as oil, gas and coal. It vows to \u201csafeguard the American people\u2019s freedom to choose from a variety of goods and appliances\u201d and directs Bondi to take action to stop all measures she deems illegal. <\/p>\n Natural gas bans have become a political hot button in California, with cities such as Berkeley<\/a> moving to phase out the fossil fuel in favor of electrification. Buildings are responsible for about a quarter of the state\u2019s greenhouse gas emissions, according to the California Energy Commission<\/a>. <\/p>\n The complaint asks the court to rule that federal law overrides the cities\u2019 natural gas bans, and to permanently block their enforcement. <\/p>\n But officials in both cities said they have not enforced their ordinances since the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals struck down Berkeley\u2019s first-in-the-nation ban<\/a> in 2023, though neither has been formally repealed.<\/p>\n Petaluma \u201chas not denied any project or permit applications based on its electrification regulations, and has approved and is processing development projects that include gas infrastructure,\u201d said Eric Danly, Petaluma\u2019s city attorney, in an email. \u201cIn any event, the city has observed that developers have generally opted voluntarily to install electric utilities.\u201d <\/p>\n Officials in Morgan Hill similarly said that the city \u201cfollows federal law, and will continue to do so,\u201d and has approved recent projects with gas infrastructure. <\/p>\n \u201cWhile we are still reviewing the complaint, this lawsuit appears to be an unnecessary effort to require the city to follow laws with which the city is already in compliance,\u201d Morgan Hill City Atty. Donald Larkin said.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, White House officials said natural gas bans \u201cdeny consumers reliable, resilient and affordable energy.\u201d <\/p>\n \u201cWhen states and cities pick winners and losers, consumers pay the price,\u201d read a statement from Adam Gustafson, principal deputy assistant attorney general with the Justice Department\u2019s Environment and Natural Resources Division. \u201cOur complaint seeks to restore consumer choice so that people and businesses can build in a way that fits their needs best.\u201d<\/p>\n It\u2019s not the first time the Trump administration has taken aim at California\u2019s progressive policies in favor of the oil and gas industry. The president last year moved to kill California\u2019s auto emission standards<\/a> and goal of phasing out gas-powered cars; canceled funding<\/a> for wind, solar and hydrogen projects; and opened up the Pacific coastline<\/a> for offshore drilling, among many other efforts. <\/p>\n