Free Republic

Restaurants and other businesses have lost their challenge to Denver ordinances that forbid them from using natural-gas appliances, as a judge has found they are not preempted by federal law. The Restaurant Law Center and the National Association of Home Builders were among the trade associations that sued Denver in July 2024, arguing rules passed in Denver this decade were preempted by the federal Energy Policy and Conservation Act. Judge Philip Brimmer disagreed in an Aug. 7 ruling granting the city’s motion to dismiss. Preemption only applies to energy use requirements on manufacturers before the appliances reach consumers, Brimmer wrote....

The Biden administration finalized a rule Wednesday that bans the use of natural gas in new federal buildings. The Department of Energy announced the final rule, which requires federal agencies to “phase out” and ultimately eliminate the on-site use of fossil fuels starting in 2030. New federal buildings constructed after 2030 will not be allowed to have the natural gas hookups required to power gas stoves and other appliances under the final rule. “The Biden-Harris Administration is practicing what we preach,” Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm said of her agency’s rule. “Just as we are helping households and businesses across the...

The Boston City Council has adopted a new state building code to disincentivize fossil fuel usage in new construction and large-scale renovation projects, the latest locality to take aim at natural gas appliances. The “Municipal Opt-in Specialized Stretch Energy Code,” which the city referred to as a “transformative green update,” passed 8-4 on Wednesday and will now be sent to Mayor Michelle Wu’s desk for her expected signature. The code, as noted by Boston Globe, amounts to a near outlawing of new fossil fuel-operated appliances like gas stoves and drying machines. It will impose costly, climate-friendly requirements on developers who...