A Ninth Circuit court ruling forced Berkeley to reverse its ban on natural gas in new buildings, prompting other cities to suspend their own efforts to promote all-electric buildings.

After a federal court ruling struck down the city of Berkeley’s ban on natural gas appliances in new buildings, other cities in the San Francisco Bay Area are suspending active or proposed natural gas bans. “A panel of judges ruled that Berkeley cannot prohibit natural gas due to a pre-existing federal energy law.”
As Stephanie Lam explains in the East Bay Times, jurisdictions that have temporarily suspended their bans include Sunnyvale, Cupertino, and San Mateo County, as well as San Luis Obispo on the central coast.
While the ruling technically doesn’t affect cities that took a “building code-based approach,” such as Sunnyvale, some of those cities are voluntarily suspending their bans to avoid litigation. “Sunnyvale city spokesperson Jennifer Garnett said the city has other measures besides its suspended gas ban to encourage electric infrastructure, including allowing residential and commercial projects with all-electric designs to increase their floor area ratio.”
Natural gas has been shown to have a significant negative impact on indoor air quality, while environmentalists say all-electric buildings are key to helping the state meet its zero-carbon goal.
FULL STORY: Bay Area cities suspend natural gas bans on new buildings

Trump Administration Could Effectively End Housing Voucher Program
Federal officials are eyeing major cuts to the Section 8 program that helps millions of low-income households pay rent.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

Ken Jennings Launches Transit Web Series
The Jeopardy champ wants you to ride public transit.

Driving Equity and Clean Air: California Invests in Greener School Transportation
California has awarded $500 million to fund 1,000 zero-emission school buses and chargers for educational agencies as part of its effort to reduce pollution, improve student health, and accelerate the transition to clean transportation.

Congress Moves to End Reconnecting Communities and Related Grants
The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee moved to rescind funding for the Neighborhood Equity and Access program, which funds highway removals, freeway caps, transit projects, pedestrian infrastructure, and more.

From Throughway to Public Space: Taking Back the American Street
How the Covid-19 pandemic taught us new ways to reclaim city streets from cars.
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