Trump administration Two California cities sued Monday in an attempt to block local laws restricting natural gas infrastructure and equipment in new buildings.
The lawsuit is the administration's latest attack on energy policies aimed at limiting the use of fossil fuels to combat climate change. CaliforniaA Democratic stronghold, it has some of the most aggressive climate change policies in the world.
Republicans, including Donald Trump, have for years criticized efforts by local Democrats to restrict gas appliances.
In the lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, Justice Department lawyers argued that ordinances passed by the San Francisco-area cities of Morgan Hill and Petaluma since 2019 violate a 1975 law that prevents states and cities from regulating the “energy use” of products that meet federal standards.
“Natural gas bans not only impose enormous costs on Californians, they are also illegal,” the complaint states.
Since 2019, dozens of U.S. municipalities have passed ordinances restricting natural gas connections. In 2023, a federal appeals court ruled that the city of Berkeley could not enforce the 2019 natural gas ban.
Petaluma City Manager Peggy Flynn said in an email that the city had no immediate comment. Representatives for Morgan Hill did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
California Governor Gavin Newsom and state Attorney General Rob Bonta have not yet commented on the lawsuit.
In July, the city joined several other counties, including Santa Clara County, home to Morgan Hill, in suing the Trump administration over funding restrictions that disqualify candidates the Trump administration deems to disagree with their positions on issues such as DEI and reproductive rights.
In the same month both regions joined a separate lawsuit — along with more than 30 other cities and counties in the Bay Area — to challenge Trump's actions on sanctuary jurisdictions.
Reuters contributed to this report
