Federal appeals court strikes down Democratic city's natural gas ban backed by Biden admin

A federal appeals court ruled unanimously Monday that a natural gas ban proposed by the City of Berkeley, California, would illegally circumvent federal law. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit ruled that Berkeley's natural gas piping ban, which the city's government passed in 2019 as part of its climate agenda, violated the federal Energy Policy and Conservation Act (EPCA) of 1975. By banning gas pipes in new building construction, the city effectively violated the EPCA which prevents local regulations from impacting the energy use of natural gas...