Washington, DC has several significant tools that help move our city towards a … Contact online >>
Washington, DC has several significant tools that help move our city towards a
This page was updated in February 2023 to include the progress the District has made in implementing the Clean Energy DC Omnibus Amendment Act of 2018. To stay up-to-date on the latest Clean Energy DC news, sign up for the CEDC newsletter >>
The Clean Energy DC Omnibus Amendment Act of 2018 (the CEDC Act) represents one of the country’s most aggressive and impactful clean energy actions to-date and establishes the District of Columbia as a global leader in the fight against climate change. The Act codifies several key initiatives identified in the Clean Energy DC Plan (“the Plan”)—the District’s detailed energy and climate action plan to halve greenhouse gas emissions by 2032.
The CEDC Act promotes a wide range of new policies and initiatives that primarily target energy supply, building energy use, and greenhouse gas emissions from vehicles. Workforce development, equity and the promotion of Certified Business Enterprises (CBEs) have also been strengthened throughout the plan. The District government is working with its community and private sector partners to implement the mandates of the CEDC Act.
The following provides a high-level summary of the Act’s provisions and implementation progress:
100% Renewable Electricity by 2032The Act revises the District’s Renewable Energy Portfolio Standard (RPS) to make it one of the most aggressive in the country, mandating 100% of the District’s energy supply comes from Tier 1 renewable energy sources by 2032. By 2041, at least 10% of that energy must come from solar energy generated within the District. The solar carve out has since been amended by the Local Solar Expansion Act, which mandates 15% local solar by 2041.
Buildings and Energy EfficiencyBuilding energy use accounts for nearly 75 percent of the District’s greenhouse gas emissions. The legislation takes aggressive and innovate action to target this sector, most notably with the first-of-its-kind Building Energy Performance Standard (BEPS). BEPS establishes a minimum energy performance for commercial and multifamily buildings. In addition to BEPS, the Act establishes a number of other initiatives and policies that will help reduce energy consumption and support the local green economy, including:
Transportation ElectrificationSecond only to buildings, transportation generates around a quarter of the District’s greenhouse gas emissions. The Act establishes three initiatives that will help the transition from traditional vehicles to electric vehicles, while recognizing the city’s broader goal of promoting transit, walking and biking.
Sustainable Energy Infrastructure Capacity Building and Pipeline ProgramAlong with reducing greenhouse gas emissions, the Act proposes new programs to support local businesses and residents. Title III calls for the creation of the Sustainable Energy Infrastructure Capacity Building and Pipeline Program to increase the participation and capacity of certified business enterprises (CBEs) in the energy efficiency and renewable energy industries. Among other things, the program will include collaboration among agencies to maintain a training and certification program for CBEs and CBE-eligible firms to increase their capacity to engage in renewable energy, and energy efficiency design, construction, inspection and maintenance.
Announcement: DOEE has begun the update process for its Clean Energy DC Plan. Clean Energy DC 2.0 (CEDC 2.0) is the latest effort to develop a cutting-edge climate and energy action plan for the District of Columbia. CEDC 2.0 will serve as an update to Mayor Bowser's first Clean Energy DC Plan, released in 2018. For resources and information on the planning process, please visit the Clean Energy DC 2.0 website.
Clean Energy DC is the District of Columbia’s energy and climate action plan. It explains how the District will use forward-looking energy policies, while also encouraging innovation, efficiency, and resiliency. Clean Energy DC re-imagines what a 21st century energy system could be but is also pragmatic and focused on achieving tangible goals.
Clean Energy DC identifies what actions need to be taken between now and 2032 in our buildings, our energy infrastructure, and our transportation system to meet the District’s ambitious GHG reduction targets. It lists 57 actions that we can do today, next steps for each, and what we will need to do in the future.
The plan aims to reduce emissions by 56% in 2032 compared to the baseline year of 2006 through the implementation of the 57 action items.
Clean Energy DC Plan & Summary Documents:
The Strategic Electrification Roadmap for Buildings and Transportation in the District of ColumbiaThe Strategic Electrification Roadmap for Buildings and Transportation (Roadmap) outlines the scope and scale of energy efficiency and electrification measures needed to meet the District of Columbia’s climate targets as delineated in the Clean Energy DC Plan. Through five sequential Tasks of investigation, the Roadmap concludes that Pepco’s grid is well positioned to handle projected electrification loads between now and 2032. Long-term planning including appropriate Benefit-Cost testing, integrated distribution system planning, and grid modernization efforts will be required for incorporating future loads.
DOEE regularly reports on its progress implementing the plan. For the latest updates, please the CEDC2.0 website.
Subscribe to our NewsletterTo stay up-to-date on the latest Clean Energy DC news, sign up for the CEDC newsletter >>
Unlike in the 50 states, the commercial sector consumes most of the energy in the District of Columbia.
Solar energy and biomass are the primary renewable resources used to generate electricity within the District of Columbia and accounted for about 76% of the city''s total net generation in 2022. There is no commercial hydroelectric, wind, or geothermal power development in the District.14,15,16
Washington ranks second among cities, after Los Angeles, in its number of Energy Star-certified buildings, with 555 buildings covering about 149 million square feet.30 An Energy Star-certified building meets energy-performance standards set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, uses less energy, costs less to operate, and produces fewer greenhouse gas emissions than comparable buildings.31 Many of Washington''s federal buildings are Energy Star-certified, including the U.S. Department of Energy''s headquarters.32
The District requires that 100% of the electricity sold in the city be generated from renewables by 2032.
The District of Columbia receives nearly all of its electricity, about 98%, from power plants in surrounding states.
The District of Columbia receives about 98% of its electricity from power plants in surrounding states.37,38,39 In 2022, solar energy at both utility- and small-scale facilities generated 59% of the electricity within the District. Natural gas accounted for 24% of the District''s total electricity generation and biomass was responsible for 17%. There are no operating coal, petroleum, or nuclear power facilities in DC.40
The District''s largest electricity-generating facilities are located at government sites, but they are small compared to the generating plants found in most states. DC Water''s Blue Plains Advanced Wastewater Treatment Plant (12 megawatts) uses biomass as a generating fuel and the U.S. General Services Administration''s (GSA) Central Heating Plant (9 megawatts) uses natural gas.41,42,43 The Capitol Power Plant (7.5 megawatts) has two natural gas-fired cogeneration units that enable the plant to produce steam and chilled water for nearly two dozen buildings on Capitol Hill, as well as electricity for on-site use at the plant.44,45
Washington, DC, does not have any natural gas reserves or production. District consumers did not have access to out-of-state natural gas supplies until 1931, when pipelined natural gas came to the city from Kentucky and West Virginia for the first time.54,55 For more than 80 years before then, manufactured gas was locally produced from coal and petroleum. A local utility used a mixture of natural gas and manufactured gas from 1931 until 1946. After that, manufactured gas was produced intermittently during periods of peak gas demand until the mid-1980s. The city''s last gas-manufacturing plant, which was located south of the Capitol Hill neighborhood near the Anacostia River, was demolished in 1986.56
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