During NYC Climate Week, 14 governors pledged to explore implementing six building decarbonization/electrification policies. Here's a breakdown of those policies and what they could mean for natural gas use:

In a major upset for gas ban advocates, a Washington DC board killed a proposed all-electric construction requirement for apartments and other commercial buildings. Here's how the policy failed to pass in a progressive city:

Here's why Berkeley, the US Department of Energy, a group of progressive states, New York's utility regulator and other supporters think the 9th Circuit should review the panel's opinion:

. the 9th Circuit often dismisses petitions for rehearing of a panel's opinion without asking the appellant (CRA in this case) to respond. Essentially, Berkeley cleared a hurdle and some members of the 9th Circuit think this issue might be something worth revisiting.

Per one of Berkeley's attorneys: This does not mean the 9th Circuit will agree to formally review the panel's opinion -- which essentially struck down Berkeley's gas ban and put building electrification mandates throughout the West Coast in peril, however . .

Positive sign for Berkeley, CA & gas ban backers: 9th Circuit Court of Appeals directed the California Restaurant Association to respond to Berkeley's petition for a rehearing of a 3-judge panel's opinion that Berkeley's gas ban conflicts w/ Energy Policy & Conservation Act.

As of June 2023, nearly half of US states have outlawed gas bans, #electrification mandates & other policies that block #NaturalGas use in buildings. Still, more anti-gas ban bills failed than passed this year. Full analysis here:

More context in our story here:

👆That is from the DOE's Feb. 1 supplemental notice of proposed rulemaking for the new energy efficiency standards for consumer cooking equipment, which this hearing was about. That explanation can generally be found in every proposed rule.

Under the Energy Policy and Conservation Act, the DOE must design "any new or amended standard for a covered product . to achieve the maximum improvement in energy efficiency that the Secretary of Energy . determines is technologically feasible and economically justified.".

The answer is in fact Congress. Congress gave the Department of Energy the authority. In the landmark Energy Policy and Conservation Act.

Our basket of gas utility stocks includes: $ATO $CPK $NJR $NWN $OGS $SWX $SR $UGI. We dropped $SJI this quarter after the company went private.

Check out those gas utilities outperforming the broader utilities sector in Q1 🧐. Story here:

Calif. utility regulators decided the project was in the public interest and approved cost tracking (which could lead to cost recovery from ratepayers). Air Products said that would distort the market. I've outlined that disagreement in the story (8/8):

Last year, Air Products opposed SoCalGas' bid to record the cost of conducting feasibility studies for a transmission pipeline that would link in-state green hydrogen production to the Los Angeles Basin. (7/8).

The idea of exporting green hydrogen from Saudi Arabia to California also underscores the emerging competition among companies seeking a foothold in the growing market for hydrogen as an energy source. (Currently, H2 is mostly used as an industrial input). 6/8.

. Some politicians & labor groups say LCFS should align w/ CA's other climate initiatives, including developing local hydrogen hubs. They worry importing green hydrogen would limit job creation, increase emissions & expose CA to supply chain disruptions & price spikes 5/8.

2nd, California is an attractive market for Air Products because of the state's Low Carbon Fuel Standard, which incentivizes alternative fuel sales to decarbonize CA's transportation sector. Imported fuels qualify & LCFS was not designed to support domestic fuels, but . 4/8.

In December, the US @ENERGY Dept. encouraged California's public-private partnership, ARCHES, to submit a full application to secure a piece of the $8B that DOE is making available to several regions to support domestic hydrogen hubs. 3/8.

1st, a broad group of CA stakeholders is seeking to develop homegrown green hydrogen production capacity to meet anticipated demand for the zero-carbon fuel. The idea is to create jobs & limit transportation-linked emissions by developing domestic supply close to demand. 2/8.