The Trump administration is suing two California cities over ordinances that ban the use of natural gas piping and appliances in new buildings, despite the fact that both cities said they have not enforced those bans in several years. Natural gas, which is mainly methane, is a major cause of climate change when it leaks out without being burned. “These natural gas bans hurt American families and are outright illegal,” Atty. Natural gas bans have become a political hot button in California, with cities such as Berkeley moving to phase out the fossil fuel in favor of electrification. The complaint asks the court to rule that federal law overrides the cities’ natural gas bans, and to permanently block their enforcement.

Source: Los Angeles Times January 14, 2026 22:27 UTC