Natural gas legislation: What multifamily developers, owners need to know

Abstract

Whether Pennsylvania passes a statewide ban on municipal natural gas bans, it won't much affect Philly Office Retail. In 2019, Berkeley, California, was the first city to ban natural gas hookups in new buildings. At the same time 20 states have passed statewide bans on natural gas bans, preventing local governments from enacting similar restrictions. Greenhouse gas emissions from buildings and homes, primarily from burning fuel for heat, made up 13% of the U.S.'s greenhouse emissions in 2020, according to the EPA. In addition, homes and apartments with gas stoves can have a 50% to 400% higher concentration of nitrogen dioxide - which can affect respiratory health, especially for those with asthma - than homes with electric stoves, per a study from RMI, a Colorado-based sustainability nonprofit. Most movement toward banning natural gas hookups has been taking place in blue or blue-leaning states, while pre-emptive bans on natural gas bans have ben adopted in red-leaning states. Opponents of natural gas bans cite the preference for cooking with gas heat and the costs of electrification. If in the future electric becomes more expensive than gas, people could easily go back to natural gas again, he said.