California city bars new gas stations

A Northern California city has become what’s believed to be the first in the country to ban all new gas stations in an effort to curb carbon emissions.

The City Council in Petaluma voted unanimously this week to prohibit the creation, expansion, reconstruction and relocation of gas stations, encouraging owners to transition to stations that serve electric and hydrogenpowered vehicles, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.

The city of 58,000 people hopes to become carbon neutral by 2030.

Petaluma has 16 gas stations, with one more expected to be built as part of a grocery store. It had been approved before the vote.

The measure is happening in a state that’s been a leader in fighting climate change. In 2018, former Gov. Jerry Brown signed an executive order intended to get California carbon neutral by 2045. Last year, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced that the sale of new gas-powered vehicles would be banned starting in 2035.