Berkeley Gas Hookup Ban Faces New Court Challenge: Reuters

BERKELEY, CA — The nation’s first city to ban natural gas hookups in most new buildings is facing another legal challenge.

A restaurant industry group that unsuccessfully challenged the 2019 Berkeley law in an Oakland federal court last month has appealed the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals's dismissal of the case, Reuters reports.

The California Restaurant Association, which filed its appeal Wednesday, has argued that that the law would harm restaurants.

"We will continue to vigorously defend the ordinance," Berkeley city attorney Farimah Faiz Brown said according to the report.

The Berkeley City Council enacted the ordinance to combat climate change according to the report.

The Berkeley measure sparked an avalanche of similar measures.

Sacramento and Santa Barbara are among the most high-profile cities considering joining the more than 40 state jurisdictions that have enacted similar measures, The San Francisco Chronicle reports.

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