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Making Good on DC’s Climate and Renewable Energy Goals by Catherine Plume
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f you had to pick a color for DC, what would it be? While some US cities balk at action to mitigate global warming, other are embracing carbon reducing strategies - creating jobs and cleaner air for their residents. Often, residents aren’t aware of these changes that are improving the quality of life – for humans and wildlife. DC is a case in point. In January 2019, DC Mayor Muriel Bowser signed the Clean Energy DC Omnibus Amendment Act of 2018, one of the most ambitious clean energy bills in the US today. The bill sets a mandate of 100% renewable electricity use by 2032. The Sierra Club DC Chapter is just one group working to ensure that DC meets these goals. Lara Levison, the Chapter’s Clean Energy Committee Chair notes, “This groundbreaking law gives us an enormous boost toward achieving the District’s ambitious but essential climate and clean energy commitments. The Sierra Club DC Chapter is working with the Council and DC agencies to implement these policies and build upon them as we face up to the climate crisis.” Specific bill goals include: • Mandating 100% of electricity sold in DC comes from renewable sources. • Doubling the required amount of solar energy deployed.
It’s easy to moped yourself to a greener DC! Photo: C Plume
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E a s t o f t h e R i v er D C N e w s . c o m
• Making improvements to the energy efficiency of large (new and existing) buildings. • Providing energy efficiency, weatherization, and energy assistance to low/moderate-income residents. • Requiring all public transportation and privately owned fleet vehicles to be emissions-free by 2045. • Funding the DC Green Bank for private investment in clean energy projects. Despite the pandemic and its economic set-back, DC is making progress on these goals.
Renewable Energy Options
Solar arrays can be installed on many DC roofs and have a payback period of only four-six years. A number of DC-based compaThere’s solar everywhere in DC! Photo: C Plume nies provide solar array installation services. Improving Building Energy Efficiency While homeowners with these soThe Clean Energy DC Omnibus Act of 2018 also relar arrays see an immediate reduction quires that large buildings that currently fall below mein their electricity bills, income-chaldian energy efficiency increase their efficiency 20% by lenged residents often can’t afford the 2027. DC’s energy efficiency standards will be released upfront installation costs. DC’s Solar in early 2021, and these requirements could pose a chalfor All program covers these costs for lenge to affordable housing units as the energy savings lower income households. Meanwhile may not entirely cover the cost of the needed investthose DC residents who can’t install ments. To address this issue, the clean energy law sets solar arrays (due to shading or because aside $3 million per year starting in 2022 to assist afthey don’t own a house) can purchase fordable housing providers and rent-controlled buildrenewable energy through a renewable ing owners in making these upgrades. energy provider while Pepco continues to deliver electricity to their home. And Pepco itself is slowly getting into Greening the Fleet the game and will be adding a small DC is also making investments in a greener fleet. The percentage of renewable energy to its DC Circulator began purchasing electric buses in 2018. electricity sources by 2024.
