States friendly to oil and gas development are trying to stop more cities, towns, and other municipalities from banning natural gas connections in favor of electric hookups, which are seen as more climate-friendly.
The Louisiana House of Representatives on Wednesday unanimously approved a bill that would ban local governments from prohibiting utility connections, including natural gas hookups.
It follows a measure signed in Oklahoma May 19 and similar bills approved in Tennessee and Arizona earlier this year.
“What we are trying to do is send a market signal to the rest of the country to say that Louisiana is open ...