Berkeley Redux

This Week's Trend In Brief:

• In Richmond, California, a neighborhood-scale effort to decommission gas lines and electrify homes is quietly gaining traction, advancing a model other communities may soon follow.

   

• The project may seem like a localized response to health and climate concerns, but it has the potential to become a national template, much like the 2019 gas ban that sparked a wave of activist-led campaigns across the country.

   

• Many states have already passed laws to preempt these policies, but as legal battles over Washington’s successful Initiative 2066 show, enacting protections is only the first step, and ballot box victories can quickly turn into high-stakes legal battles.

   

• That clash, along with others unfolding nationwide, highlight how even voter-backed efforts to preserve natural gas access remain vulnerable in a legal landscape increasingly shaped by activist litigation.

   

• With cities like Richmond piloting neighborhood-scale efforts to decommission gas lines, energy companies must prepare for a future where these policies spread and be ready to navigate legal, political, and operational risks in every jurisdiction they serve.

Digging Deeper:

In Richmond, California, a neighborhood-scale campaign to decommission gas lines and electrify homes is quietly taking shape. The Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment, which is leading the project, argues that aging gas lines up for replacement represent “an opportunity to electrify.” While this project may appear to be a local effort in a single neighborhood focused on health concerns, community empowerment, and emissions reduction, it could soon become the template for advancing restrictions on gas nationwide. What starts as a localized pilot could set a precedent for utilities, lawmakers, and advocates elsewhere, reshaping how gas infrastructure is phased out and how electrification efforts are scaled, one neighborhood at a time.

Indeed, the project may appear to be a localized response to health and climate concerns, but it has the potential to become a national model, much like the 2019 gas ban that sparked a wave of activist-led campaigns across the country. In 2019, the effort to restrict gas use began in earnest when the city of Berkeley, California, became the first city in the U.S. to prohibit gas hookups in new buildings. That local ordinance quickly inspired a coordinated campaign to push gas bans from major cities to suburban towns, often through amendments to building codes or electrification mandates. Now, this new neighborhood-scale push to decommission gas lines has the potential to spark a similar wave of action nationwide. Discussing the Richmond effort, climate advocates have already contended that “a large-scale effort” to phase out natural gas “just makes more sense than a piecemeal approach in many parts of the state.” Just like Berkeley’s ban in 2019, the effort in Richmond could escalate into a national battle over who gets to decide how Americans power their homes, and what fuels will define the country’s energy future.

Many states have already moved to preempt these types of policies, but as legal battles over Washington’s successful Initiative 2066 show, enacting protections is only the first step, and ballot box victories can quickly turn into high-stakes legal battles. Since 2020, more than half of U.S. states, representing 47% of the population, have passed laws prohibiting municipalities from restricting access to gas utilities. That includes Washington state, where voters narrowly approved Initiative 2066 in 2024, a measure designed to roll back recent state efforts to phase out natural gas in homes and buildings. While supporters hailed the vote as a clear defense of consumer choice and energy affordability, opponents warned the measure would undermine climate goals and public health protections, alleging it was the product of deep-pocketed industry interests seeking to lock in fossil fuel infrastructure. A month after the election, climate activist groups, joined by King County and the City of Seattle, filed a lawsuit to overturn the initiative. In March 2025, a King County Superior Court judge ruled in favor of the plaintiffs, striking down the measure as unconstitutional. The court’s ruling, which cited the initiative’s “broad and free ranging” scope, is a reminder that passing a measure is only the first step. Legal durability is now part of the battlefield, and companies across the energy industry must be prepared to defend policy wins beyond the ballot box, as litigation becomes a central front in the fight over fuel choice and infrastructure development.

The fight over natural gas is continuing to unfold across the country, as cities and states test the limits of how and where gas can be phased out. In California, Richmond’s push to decommission gas lines at the neighborhood level reflects a growing shift toward systemic electrification efforts, while in the courts, conflicting rulings from New York and the Ninth Circuit highlight the legal uncertainty surrounding fossil fuel bans in new construction. Other communities across the country are continuing to push for these gas bans, advancing new policies through building codes, local ordinances, and neighborhood-scale electrification projects, despite mounting court challenges and electoral setbacks. For energy companies, this fragmented legal landscape highlights the increasing risk of policy whiplash and underscores the need to navigate each jurisdiction with precision and foresight. At the same time, the activist push for natural gas restrictions continues to gain strength, with coordinated campaigns advancing through legislation, regulation, and increasingly through the courts. For public affairs professionals, the clashes over natural gas are a reminder that public sentiment on energy policy is not fixed and that activists are increasingly willing to sidestep or override voter sentiment to advance their agendas.

The emerging campaign in Richmond, alongside a wave of gas bans and mounting legal battles over preemption, underscores how quickly local initiatives can escalate into national flashpoints and why understanding the dynamics of each jurisdiction is critical for staying ahead. The path to influence now runs through courts, state agencies, and neighborhood outreach teams just as much as it does through legislatures or traditional lobbying channels. Success in today’s regulatory environment demands more than monitoring bills – it requires a strategic posture grounded in legal foresight, stakeholder awareness, and on-the-ground intelligence. Public affairs professionals and the companies they represent must understand that this is not just a fight over policy but a fight over process, narrative, and legitimacy. In an era where electrification and decarbonization are shaping building policy and utility planning, companies need a playbook to engage early, respond strategically, and safeguard their priorities in a rapidly evolving regulatory terrain.

Trends in Energy is your weekly look at key trends affecting the energy industry, brought to you by the competitive intelligence experts at Delve. As the political and regulatory landscape continues to shift, reach out to learn how our insights can help you navigate these challenges.