US EditionTrump's DOJ Sues Morris Co. Town Over Gas Appliance Ban
The complaint says the ordinance raises energy costs and conflicts with federal authority over appliances and infrastructure, part of a broader Trump administration push.
- On Tuesday, the Department of Justice sued Morris Township, New Jersey, over an ordinance banning natural gas, propane, and fuel oil infrastructure in new apartment complexes with 12 or more units.
- Citing President Donald Trump's April 8, 2025, executive order, the DOJ argues the ban "denies consumers reliable, resilient, and affordable energy" and conflicts with federal energy policy authority.
- Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson said the federal government holds "exclusive authority" to regulate infrastructure, characterizing Morris Township's law as "local overreach" of national energy policies.
- This litigation follows two successful lawsuits in California, where the DOJ challenged similar bans, prompting Morgan Hill and Petaluma to rescind their prohibitions earlier this year.
- While local officials cite climate goals for the ban, New Jersey lawmakers introduced the Affordable Home Energy Protection Act last month to prevent state agencies from restricting gas use.
12 Articles
12 Articles
The Center Square
Just the NewsDepartment of Justice sues New Jersey town over natural gas hook-up ban
(The Center Square) — A New Jersey Township is being sued by the Department of Justice over a law that bans new natural gas hook-ups, with prosecutors claiming the town
The Epoch Times
DOJ Sues New Jersey Town Over Natural Gas Ban
The Department of Justice (DOJ) filed a lawsuit against Morris Township in New Jersey over its ban on natural gas and other fossil fuels in newly constructed buildings, the department said in an April 1 statement. The ban “drives up energy costs for everyday American consumers and weakens our Nation’s energy dominance,” the DOJ said. “Such policies reflect a radical left effort to outlaw federally regulated gas stoves, furnaces, water heaters, d…
Feds claim NJ town’s electrification law ‘threatens American energy dominance’
Justice Department attorneys want a judge to void a Morris Township ordinance banning builders from installing gas appliances. (Stock photo by Douglas Rissing via Getty Images)The Trump administration has sued Morris Township over its 2022 ordinance banning builders from installing appliances or other infrastructure fueled by gas, oil, or propane in most new rental housing. In a complaint filed Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Newark, Justice D…
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