Berkeley Loses Appeal On Gas Ban For New Hookups

It’s a pretty big decision that can and should have implications nationally for when cities and states try this type of ban. Not that it will stop the climate cultists in government from giving it a whirl and forcing citizens to sue

Berkeley settles lawsuit to repeal gas ban, in final blow to dozens of California measures

The City of Berkeley has settled a lawsuit by the California Restaurant Association to repeal that city’s first-in-the-nation ban on gas hookups in new construction, dealing a final blow to more than a hundred similar measures in California cities including Sacramento.

Berkeley’s 2019 gas ban became a cornerstone in a national battle over the future of fossil gas in buildings as dozens of other municipal and county governments followed suit — including Sacramento, San Francisco, Oakland and Los Angeles.

The Friday announcement comes after a federal appeals court declined to rehear the case on Berkeley’s ordinance that a panel of judges struck down last year for preempting federal energy law.

In a press release, the Sacramento-based California Restaurant Association said Berkeley will take steps to formally repeal the ordinance as part of the settlement. Until the city repeals the measure in its legislative process, it will not enforce the measure.

Sacramento has already stated that they will not enforce their own law. And, I’ll be honest, I’m rather torn on this: if the gas is coming from California sources, should federal policy having any bearing, or should it be state and local? Does everything have to be federal?

With outright municipal gas hookup bans stifled, some cities are pushing for an alternative approach to cut out gas from buildings: “fuel-neutral” energy performance ordinances.

Instead of forbidding gas in new or existing construction, local governments in California are electing to set energy efficiency standards for buildings. Because gas is less efficient, the policies ultimately favor renewable or cleaner produced electricity.

It just goes to show that the climate cult will always look for a way. But, is gas really less efficient? When it’s hooked up it’s always available, unlike solar and wind. But, hey, as we all keep saying, the Comrades in California keep voting for this stuff, so, let them deal with the consequences.

The post Berkeley Loses Appeal On Gas Ban For New Hookups appeared first on Pirate’s Cove.