D.C. Gas Ban Gets Favorable Hearing in Federal Appeals Court

A federal appeals panel appeared inclined Tuesday to let Washington, D. C. ’s restrictions on natural gas in certain new buildings stand.

The case turns on the Energy Policy and Conservation Act, or EPCA, which gives the Department of Energy authority to set efficiency and energy-use standards for appliances including furnaces, water heaters, dryers and stoves. Industry groups argue that D. C.