Washington D.C. Moves Forward With Goal of 100 Percent Renewable Energy by 2032

Lawmakers in Washington D.C. ended 2018 on a sustainable note; the City Council of the District of Columbia voted in favor of passing the Clean Energy Omnibus Amendment Act of 2018, which will implement a goal of 100 percent renewable energy by 2032. 

According to a press release put out by Mary Cheh, the council member responsible for the legislation, the new plan is the “most ambitious renewable energy policy in the country.” 

DC Council Passes Nation's Most Aggressive 100 Percent Renewable Energy Bill, Mandates Eliminating Fossil Fuels

The Washington, D.C. city council on Tuesday unanimously passed the nation’s most aggressive 100 percent renewable energy bill, in what would be the fastest-acting climate change legislation in the country.

D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser, a Democrat, is expected to sign the bill. If she does, Congress will have 30 days to veto the bill.

The bill would require District utilities to source all electricity from wind and solar by 2032 — up from its current goal of 50 percent renewables in that time — and would set tough new energy efficiency standards for buildings. The bill's authors say it will reduce greenhouse gases in the District 44 percent by 2032.

DC Gave Initial Approval to Weakened Clean Energy Legislation

The DC Council gave preliminary approval to landmark clean energy legislation Tuesday that would make DC a leader in the fight against climate change.

Though it would be one of the strongest clean energy laws in the nation if passed, substantial changes were made late in the process, at least one of which significantly weakens the bill.

When Councilmember Mary Cheh introduced the bill in July, it included a provision requiring that DC’s electric utility, Pepco, buy renewable energy through long-term contracts. That would reduce DC’s greenhouse gas emissions by 710,000 tons of a year, or 8.1% of DC’s total emissions, according analysis of the bill from the DC Department of Energy and Environment.

Climate Bill Would Move D.C. to 100% Renewable Energy by 2032

The District would adopt one of the nation’s most aggressive plans to cut carbon emissions, aiming to use entirely renewable sources of energy for the city’s power grid just 14 years from now, under new legislation proposed by five D.C. Council members.

The bill — which would also enhance the city’s green building standards and authorize the mayor to enter regional agreements with Virginia and Maryland to cut greenhouse gas emissions — comes at a moment of international reckoning with the problem of climate change.

New Program Will Make D.C. A Leader On Renewable Energy

The nation’s capital will get half of its electricity from renewable sources by 2032, officials announced Monday.

The new, 50 percent renewable portfolio standard will require the District’s utilities to increase electricity from sources such as wind and solar from the current goal of 20 percent by 2020 to 50 percent by 2032, getting at least 5 percent from solar. In addition, under a jobs and installation program, more than 100,000 low-income D.C. households will be outfitted with solar over the next 16 years.