Reverse natural gas ban law

Whether you call it a ban or a significant deterrent to future natural gas consumption, voter approval of Initiative 2066 in Washington may be only the first giant pothole to fill. The next one in the road ahead may be a hefty tax on natural gas.

In 2019, Berkeley, Calif., became the first city to prohibit natural gas connections in new buildings. San Jose, New York City, San Francisco, Seattle, and others followed. However, last year the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals delivered a setback by holding that federal law preempts local bans.

“But Berkeley’s climate obsessives are trying to do an en...