State Sen. Gene Yaw, R-Loyalsock Township, has reintroduced legislation ensuring Pennsylvania residents have options when it comes to fuel availability.

The bill would limit municipal entities from banning a specific type of fuel source for appliances and heating homes or businesses. The language is fuel-neutral and is not specific to one energy source.

“It’s simply about consumer choice and keeping energy costs low,” Yaw, who serves as chairman of the Senate Environmental Resources and Energy Committee, said, according to a news release. “When municipal governments start picking winners and losers, then we have a serious problem. Pennsylvania residents have a myriad of energy options to choose from and we should keep it that way.”

Yaw referenced Berkeley, California, which was the first city in the nation to ban natural gas hookups in new construction. The 2019 move was an effort to keep buildings and homes from using fossil fuels.

“Many of my constituents still use wood to heat their homes,” Yaw continued, according to the news release. “Are we going to stop them next?”

Last session, the same measure passed the Senate with bipartisan support. However, the bill was never brought up for a vote by the Local Government Committee in the House of Representatives. Currently, 26 states have enacted energy choice legislation.