Measure enhances clean energy effort in Washington DC

Published on January 23, 2019 by Douglas Clark

© Shutterstock

Washington DC officials said Mayor Muriel Bowser’s recent Clean Energy DC Omnibus Amendment Act of 2018 positions the District as the nation’s leader in clean energy and climate action.

The action follows a District-established mandate of 100 percent renewable electricity by the year 2032.

Bowser’s Clean Energy DC plan includes 57 action items detailing the manner in which the District will reach its target, officials said, including provisions requiring 100 percent of the electricity sold in the District come from renewable sources. It would also double the required amount of solar energy deployed in the District, make significant improvements to the energy efficiency of existing buildings in the District, and provide energy bill assistance to support low- and moderate-income residents.

“By signing the Clean Energy DC Omnibus Amendment Act of 2018 into law, we solidify Washington, DC’s place as the national leader in the fight against climate change and proudly communicate to the world that we are still in,” Bowser said. “If we are going to make progress on addressing climate change and global warming in our country, it’s going to be cities and states leading the way. With this groundbreaking clean energy law, we have created a model for jurisdictions across the nation to follow.”

The bill was signed into law at the newly renovated American Geophysical Union headquarters, which is the first net-zero building renovation in the District and serves as a national model of green building design.