Although recent fears over the rumored federal proposal to restrict the use of gas-powered stoves in homes appear to have been overblown, state and local lawmakers have been active regarding the usage of natural gas in residential and commercial settings.
In fact, legislation has emerged in various jurisdictions seeking to ban natural gas in new construction – while opponents push legislation that would forbid cities from banning natural gas in new commercial buildings. In 2019, Berkeley, Calif., became the first city in the country to ban natural gas in new buildings. Since then, a number of the largest U.S. cities – including Los Angeles, New York City, San Francisco, Seattle and Washington D.C. – adopted rules that would either ban or limit the use of natural gas in new residential and commercial buildings.
On the state level, in 2022, Washington became the first state to adopt rule revisions to its energy code that would require new commercial buildings to use heat pumps for space heating. California followed suit when the California Air Resources Board approved its plan to phase out natural gas burning heaters and appliances in new buildings. And, late last year, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul backed a statewide proposal to ban natural gas for new buildings in her state.
This year, lawmakers already have introduced bills seeking to ban natural gas for commercial use in several states.
A Massachusetts bill (MA SD 144) would require new buildings to be all-electric, granting exemptions to fueling service stations and buildings with emergency energy backup systems in place. In addition, a pair of bills in New York (NY AB 920 and NY SB 562) would phase in a natural gas ban for new buildings by requiring buildings less than seven stories tall to be all-electric by 2025, and buildings taller than seven stories to be all-electric by July 2028.
On the other side of the issue, many conservative lawmakers have attempted to counter local efforts to pass natural gas bans by enacting local preemption legislation prohibiting such acts. Currently, 20 states have preempted localities from prohibiting the sale of natural gas to customers. This year, lawmakers in Oregon (OR SB 647) and North Dakota (ND HB 1234) hope to join these states through similar measures that would preempt local natural gas bans.
“The debate over natural gas is only expected to heat up as climate advocates push for policies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and increase the rate of electrification throughout the country,” noted Billy Culleton, senior strategic government relations coordinator for MultiState Associates, in a recent report. “Efforts to limit natural gas for heating and cooking purposes have, for now, fallen mainly on residential buildings, but proponents are expected to continue pushing for ‘all the above’ approaches that include commercial buildings as well.”
Source: MultiState Associates
