CECC and Partners Sue Oak Park Over Natural Gas Ban

CHICAGO – April 22, 2025 – Today, the Clean Energy Choice Coalition (CECC) and its partners, the National Association of Homebuilders (NAHB), NPL Construction Co. (NPL), and the International Union of Operating Engineers Local 150 (Local 150), filed a federal complaint against the Village of Oak Park for an unlawful natural gas ban in new construction.

“This ordinance deprives residents and businesses of the freedom to choose natural gas, the most affordable and reliable energy source. The U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals found a similar natural gas ban by the City of Berkeley, CA, preempted by the Energy Policy and Conservation Act (EPCA). Eliminating this choice in new construction risks significantly increasing taxpayer energy costs, undermining energy equity, and permanently blocking the use of future innovative energy solutions that could leverage existing natural gas infrastructure,” said Lissa Druss of the CECC.

The law is clear: Oak Park’s natural gas ban ordinance is invalid and unenforceable under EPCA. It threatens a national energy policy intended, among other things, to provide energy security, sufficiency of domestic supply, and uniform national regulations promoting energy conservation.

“This patchwork approach by Oak Park and other local governments is precisely what EPCA’s uniform national energy conservation standards are intended to prevent,” said Dylan Hradek, President of NPL. “NPL and the CECC support working to reduce carbon emissions, but functionally banning natural gas in Oak Park buildings will do little to advance these goals.”

In addition to undermining federal policy, Oak Park’s natural gas ban threatens thousands of highly skilled jobs and hundreds of thousands of labor hours on one of the nation’s most critical energy sources.

“Local 150 firmly believes the Oak Park ordinance banning natural gas connections in new construction is in violation of federal law. Natural gas is essential for keeping a balanced and reliable energy system, serving as a vital link between traditional and renewable energy sources,” said James M. Sweeney, President-Business Manager, IUOE Local 150. “With thousands of Oak Park residents utilizing natural gas for cooking and heating, the Village has unnecessarily put at risk the dependability of these energy sources. The failure to eliminate ordinances focused on shortsighted measures hinders any efforts to actively pursue sustainability and ultimately threatens our workforce's livelihood.”

“The Oak Park rule takes away consumer choice, especially in a region that heavily relies on natural gas in winter,” said Pat Cardoni, National Home Builders. “It hurts builders, contractors, and laborers by reducing demand for gas infrastructure and driving up the price of construction. The consumer pays the price in all cases.”

For more information about the Clean Energy Choice Coalition and the federal lawsuit against Oak Park, visit www.ourcleanenergychoice.com.

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