NJ town dragged to court as feds blast ‘radical’ energy crackdown on homes

⚡DOJ sues Morris Township over law banning gas appliances

⚡The ban is in new buildings with 12+ units

⚡Feds warn the policy could drive up energy costs and limit consumer choice

MORRIS TOWNSHIP — The U.S. Department of Justice has filed a lawsuit against a New Jersey township's ban on gas appliances in new construction.

In 2022, Morris Township adopted an ordinance requiring all new residential and commercial developments of 12 units or more to be equipped with all-electric appliances. The ordinance cited concerns about the affect of pollutants like carbon monoxide and nitrogen oxide on health and the climate.

Mayor Donna Guariglia, Consulting Township Engineer Joseph Vuich, and Construction Code Official Ron Auth are all named as defendants in the lawsuit. Guariglia was not mayor at the time the ordinance was approved.

Before she was ousted by President Trump on April 2, then-Attorney General Pam Bondi said "such policies reflect a radical left effort to outlaw federally regulated gas stoves, furnaces, water heaters, dryers, and other appliances that American families rely on daily to cook their meals and heat their homes."

“Radical environmentalist policies that drive up costs and limit consumer choice will not stand," Bondi's statement said.

Guariglia told Morristown Green she would comment about the lawsuit once the township's attorneys have reviewed the complaint.

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New Jersey energy policy and gas vs. electric debate

In 2023, the state Board of Public Utilities approved a plan for utility companies to incentivize buildings to switch from natural gas to electric but did not mandate it.

"With these new incentives, we are encouraging folks to move to energy efficiency options," then-BPU President Joseph L. Fiordaliso said. "Notice I said encouraging, folks. But let's be clear. We are not requiring. We are not mandating anyone to give up their gas stove. If that were the case I'd be thrown out of my own house."

Bondi was replaced the day after the lawsuit was announced. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blache was named by President Donald Trump as acting Attorney General.

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