This chapter discusses the controversial law in Berkeley banning gas hookups for new buildings, detailing the opposition from industries like gas companies and the California Restaurant Association. It reveals the costly legal battle and investigative reporting exposing the backers behind the Association, uncovering significant funding sources and broader implications.
After Berkeley, California, became the first city in the US to ban natural gas in new buildings in 2019, it gained an unlikely opponent: the California Restaurant Association. The industry group sued the city, and kicked off a four-year-plus legal battle that ended with the city backing down. But when Bloomberg’s Ben Elgin started following the money, he found evidence that raised questions about where the association got its support.
In today’s episode, host Sarah Holder speaks with Elgin about the fight against California gas bans and how gas companies are planning to leverage that victory nationally.
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