Amid much fanfare, in 2022, the City of Palo Alto, California, home to Stanford University, amended its building code to require that every new building within its borders be all electric. This followed the lead of the City...more
In April 2023, we reported on the US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit’s decision in California Restaurant Association (CRA) v. City of Berkeley striking down a Berkeley ordinance that prohibited natural gas piping in...more
The United States Court of Appeals Ninth Circuit (“Ninth Circuit”) addressed in a January 2nd Order and Amended Opinion (“Order”) a challenge to a Berkeley, California, building code provision that prohibited the installation...more
The Ninth Circuit recently weighed in on whether localities’ natural-gas infrastructure bans are preempted by federal laws including the Energy Policy and Conservation Act (EPCA). Some background. Many regulators and...more
The United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit (“Ninth Circuit”) addressed in an April 17th Opinion a challenge to a Berkeley, California, building code provision that prohibited the installation of natural gas...more
On Monday, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals held that the City of Berkeley ordinance entitled “Prohibition of Natural Gas Infrastructure in New Buildings” was preempted by the Energy Policy and Conservation Act. The relevant...more