Montgomery County approves bill to ban fossil fuel use in most new buildings

The Montgomery County, Maryland, Council voted unanimously Tuesday to approve the Comprehensive Building Decarbonization bill, which will ban fossil fuels, such as gas heating, from almost all newly constructed buildings by 2026. There are exceptions. The ban will not apply to hospitals or other facilities that need emergency backup systems, such as generators, or buildings that need commercial cooking facilities. It does guarantee that almost all new buildings will be equipped with electric hot water systems and heat pumps. The legislation faced opposition from several trade associations and business groups and had the support of two dozen citizens groups representing Montgomery County.