Jan 5 (Reuters) – The Trump administration sued two California cities on Monday, seeking to block local laws that restrict natural gas infrastructure and appliances in new construction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The lawsuit is the administration’s latest attack on energy policies that seek to rein in the use of fossil fuels to combat climate change. California, a Democratic stronghold, has among the most aggressive climate change policies in the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Republicans, including President Donald Trump, for years have attacked local Democratic efforts<\/u><\/a> to limit gas-powered appliances.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In the complaint filed in U.S. District Court in the Northern District of California, Justice Department attorneys alleged that ordinances passed by the San Francisco-area cities of Morgan Hill and Petaluma since 2019 violated a 1975 law that prevents states and cities from regulating the “energy use” of products subject to federal standards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n “The natural gas bans not only impose crushing costs on California residents but are also unlawful,” the complaint said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Since 2019, dozens of U.S. municipalities have enacted ordinances that restrict natural gas hookups. A federal appeals court in 2023 ruled<\/u><\/a> that the city of Berkeley, California, could not enforce its 2019 natural gas ban.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The city manager of Petaluma, Peggy Flynn, said in an email that the city had no immediate comment. Morgan Hill officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n