The 2015 Sustainability Supplement IN HONOR OF EARTH DAY ®
EARTH DAY NETWORK 2015
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Sustainable DC When it comes to being a sustainable city, the District of Columbia has posted some impressive leadership numbers. And now we have another top mark to add to our green credentials. Just a few weeks ago, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that the D.C. region has more ENERGY STAR® certified buildings than any other metro area in the country—dethroning Los Angeles for the first time since the rankings began in 2009. And as of early April, the District was also home to more LEED-certified projects than any other city in the nation, meaning buildings in our city are using less energy while cutting more pollution in the process. As we approach Earth Day, I encourage residents and businesses to consider the value in living and working in a sustainable city. Energy-efficient green buildings save money, create jobs and provide a healthier quality of life for residents and businesses. The Washington region’s 480 ENERGY STAR buildings have reduced their combined energy use by an amount equivalent to what 73,500 homes use in a year – and saved $127 million on energy costs. With those numbers, it is clear that smart energy use makes smart economic sense. We are also creating energy-efficiency programs as a way to create good-paying local jobs. The DC Sustainable Energy Utility (DCSEU), a partnership with the District Government, provides incentives and support to residents and businesses and has created 204 jobs since it was established in 2011. In the last fiscal year alone, the DCSEU has created 82 jobs and invested $18.5 million in energy efficiency—including $6.1 million in low-income services—which will generate approximately $105 million in lifetime energy cost savings for customers. In addition to greening our buildings, we are also greening our lands. Nearly 100 percent of District residents now live within a half-mile walk from a park or public space. Last year, the District once again exceeded the ambitious yearly tree canopy goals found in our Sustainable DC Plan by planting 11,593 trees. These trees help to cool and beautify our city while preventing flooding and creating habitat for wildlife. But deploying green buildings and planting thousands of trees are not the only tools we are using to build a sustainable city. The District was the first U.S. city to impose a fee on single-use disposable plastic and paper bags. We are now doubling down on those efforts by banning non-biodegradable items, like plastic foam containers, that often are found in our rivers and stay around for hundreds of years. I am proud that our city is becoming greener, but we must also have a more holistic approach to our mission. We cannot achieve true sustainability if all residents cannot afford to live in the District as it improves. This is why I have established a program that covers the full cost to install solar panels on at least 130 single-family homes owned or rented by low-income District residents. Also, to ensure public transit service remains intact and fees are not raised, I have proposed increasing the tax on parking garages by four percent. Ultimately, I am committed to leading the way on sustainability while continuing to find ways to create and preserve pathways to the middle class. Because when it comes to facing climate change and growing our economy, we do not have to choose one over the other. The District is proving that our environmental policies are saving money, cutting pollution and improving the lives of more residents, now and for generations to come. n
- MAYOR MURIEL BOWSER ®
EARTH DAY NETWORK 2015
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D.C.’s Environment Chief Spreads Green Message By Barrington M. Salmon WI Staff Writer@bsalmon During an open house at the DC Department of the Environment on March 15, Mayor Muriel Bowser talked about one of her predecessor’s signature programs: Sustainable DC. Former Mayor Vincent C. Gray’s commitment to a healthy, green and livable city is reflected in a range of programs and projects which during his tenure raised the District’s status as a national leader in urban sustainability. When Gray left office, he left behind a green legacy that includes more than 200 LEED-certified and energy star-certified green buildings, 7,600 acres of parks and open spaces, 55 miles of bike paths, lanes and facilities and a threefold increase in the use of renewal energy. Bowser said she remains passionate about improving and enhancing the District’s urban environment and helping residents become healthier and the environment around them greener. And she selected former Ward 6 Councilmember Tommy Wells to head the department. “While I was on the (D.C.) Council, it became clear to me that the decisions we make are 50-year decisions, such as transportation or building a soccer stadium,” she said. “We’re making decisions for this generation and shaping decisions for the next one. We inherited it and we have to leave it better for the next generation.” “On Jan 2, I inherited the past successes of my predecessors. I inherited some ‘lu-lus’ but I also inherited some good things. And one of those good things is sustainable DC. I will make recommendations about what we should keep, push harder on the things we have to add. And if we have to change or delete, we’ll do that too. We want to make sure that we’re building on the successes of your hard work and the work of leaders who have preceded us. And push the District even farther,” Bowser said. Bowser said she, Wells and their respective staffs have been looking at ways to have more synergy in shaping how they make transportation, economic development and preservation decisions that will continue to deliver and build
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on Sustainable DC. All of what the administration desires to do will be lopsided if it doesn’t broaden the constituency of people engaged in the green movement, Wells said. Too often, he said, environmental issues are regarded as a white, middle-class issue. But climate change, exposure to pesticides, poor air quality and the raft of other environmental issues affect everyone of every color but affects the poor and those with limited resource disproportionately. “I know that when I was introducing projects east of the (Anacostia) River, seniors were concerned. They remember when they could swim in the Anacostia River,” Wells said. “They were talking about how things were and could be. There is a way to talk about environmental issues. I’ve heard from pulpits about stewardship. It’s our duty is to take care of things around us.” Wells said he’s quite concerned about the disproportionate number of problems in poor areas of the city, such as asthma. “The ozone, car exhaust, living downwind of a cold burning plant – these are a problem for people without resources,” he said. “The president talked recently about the problem of global warming. This isn’t an issue for one demographic. Sometimes this is viewed as white, middle-class thing but we all have a duty. The history of our elders calls on us to clean up the environment. We have to do it for ourselves and for our children. We will work extra hard East of the River to engage residents and have dialogues about environmental responsibilities. It makes sense.” Wells said it’s necessary to strike a balance between residents’ needs and policy objectives. The challenge facing those who’re environmental advocates is the presence and level of political will to move the needle in any significant way. “That’s the struggle we’re in today – political will,” he said. Wells said city and civic leaders in the District have been active and involved in addressing different environmental issues, citing the impervious surface charge to mitigate storm water runoff and the bag tax in Washington, D.C., which is being used to clean up the Anacostia River.
“A lot of people are unhappy about the bag tax but nobody is running against it, even though some people are grudgingly accepting it,” said Wells. Whatever District leaders and other stakeholders do, he explained, it has to be done in concert with other municipalities in the region. “The rain tax in Maryland is being repealed by the new governor, yet 80 percent of the Anacostia River is in Maryland so there will be an impact on us if they choose not to clean the water. “We have the tools to (make a difference). My job on behalf of Mayor Bowser is to focus those tools in areas where we have the most need.” n
Director Tommy Wells goes on a nature walk with members of the community – Photo credit: John Nelson Photography, johnnelsonphoto.com
TO Wednesday, April 22, 2015 9am-12pm
PRESENTED BY THE DISTRICT DEPARTMENT OF THE ENVIRONMENT
REDUCE | REUSE RECYCLE | RECOUP
2015 Sustainability Supplement / April 2015 / www.washingtoninformer.com
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EARTH DAY NETWORK 2015
University of the District of Columbia David A. Clarke School of Law Moot Court Room #518 4340 Connecticut Ave NW
From Backyards to the Bay:
Nash Run Restoration & Trash Collection BMP
What East of the River Stream Restoration Means for the District Overall Site Plan for the Project
By Josh Burch, Environmental Protection Specialist, District Department of the Environment josh.burch@dc.gov In early 2010, the District Department of the Environment (DDOE) was contacted to look at a trash-choked stream in the Kenilworth neighborhood in Northeast DC. DDOE staff toured the site with residents to assess the problem but soon discovered that the stream had multiple complications. The stream, Nash Run, was not only filled with trash but its banks were highly unstable, causing trees and land from adjacent home owners’ backyards to fall into the stream during storm events. While trash is a very visible indicator that a stream is unhealthy, the sediment from a stream bank or upland erosion is the pollutant that stands to have the most adverse effect on streams, the Anacostia and Potomac Rivers, and the Chesapeake Bay. After meeting with community members and assessing the problem at Nash Run, DDOE
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used funds from the Bag Law to secure a professional firm to study the stream and design a restoration project. During the assessment and design process, DDOE gathered technical information in the field but also gathered information from community members about their wants, needs, and complaints about the stream itself. Several residents expressed dismay that the stream they played in as a child—a stream that was home to salamanders, frogs, turtles, and fish—no longer resembled its better days. Residents expressed concern about “losing their backyards” and falling trees due to stream bank erosion and many indicated that it seemed the mosquito problem in the neighborhood had gotten worse. With background information and data in hand, DDOE initiated a project that would respond to community concerns while also addressing the larger picture of how stream restoration helps improve conditions in the Anacostia and Potomac Rivers in addition to the Chesapeake Bay. Data shows an estimated 32 tons of sediment per year erodes from Nash Run’s stream banks and washes down into the Anacostia River. When mobilized during a rain storm, that very sediment is what makes our rivers look like chocolate milk. The murky water prevents sunlight
from reaching the riverbeds preventing the growth of plants— plants that provide oxygen and food for fish and other aquatic species. The restoration at Nash Run should commence in mid-2015 and will have two main features. First, DDOE will install a new floatable trash trap to capture trash that comes out of the stormwater outfall by Kenilworth Avenue. This is where all the roadway run-off and associated trash and debris from a 0.7 square mile area outfalls and pollutes the Nash Run stream. Hundreds of years ago—before development—when it rained, water would slowly seep into the ground and find its way subsurface to Nash Run. However, today—with over 49% of the District’s portion of the watershed impervious—the water hits rooftops, driveways, roads, and parking lots and the stormwater is conveyed directly to the stream through a series of stormwater pipes. On normal days, the stream has a very low base flow but during storm events, the outfall acts as a firehouse with stormwater flowing out at a high velocity, accelerating the stream bank erosion that causes trees and parts of backyards to fall into the stream. While a floatable trash trap should capture most of the litter before entering the system, it’s the stream restoration work itself
The cleanup at Nash Run stream is underway (Photo credit: DDOE)
This project plays an integral role in ensuring the Anacostia River is fishable and swimmable by 2032. that should have the biggest long-term impact. DDOE will be implementing a technique called floodplain reconnection. Stream work will include excavation along each stream bank to allow creation of a low floodplain bench. That means that when the stream’s water level rises in storm events, it will spread out over a wide area. This permanently wet low-floodplain will also be a great area for frogs, turtles, dragonflies, and salamanders to call home and will reduce stress on stream banks, thus reducing erosion. The realigned and graded stream channel
should also flow constantly, minimizing the number of stagnant pools. When combined with the improved aquatic habitat conditions, the stream should have fewer areas for mosquitoes to breed—and more predators to eat them. By working collaboratively with community residents, DDOE believes this project will address many neighborhood concerns while also helping to improve the health of Nash Run. This project plays an integral role in ensuring the Anacostia River is fishable and swimmable by 2032. n
www.washingtoninformer.com / 2015 Sustainability Supplement / April 2015
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FISHING IN THE
DISTRICT
FAQs
Who needs a license?
- If you are age 16 to 64 then you need a DC fishing license.
Upcoming Events:
Where can I purchase a license?
- You can purchase a license online at enode.dc.gov/epermit or at the DDOE office. - Please visit ddoe.dc.gov for a list of additional vendors.
- Join us for the Family and Youth Casting Call,
Saturday, May 16 at Fletcher’s Cove.
How much?
- Participate in the snakehead tournament currently underway with the weigh-in to be held
Saturday, May 16 at the Aquatic Resources Education Center in Anacostia Park.
- Learn to fish with group classes and private instruction at the Aquatic Resources Education Center.
- DC Resident - $10.00 - Non-Resident - $13.00 - Temporary (Regardless of residency) - $6.50
Where may I fish?
- Anywhere on the Anacostia River below the Route 50 bridge - Anglers may also fish the main stem of the Potomac River from either shore from just north of Chain Bridge to Old Town Alexandria.
When may I fish?
- You may fish all year.
What might I catch?
- District waters are home to 13 species of sport fish. Please consult ddoe.dc.gov for information on seasons, size limits, and prohibitions.
For more information: (202) 535-2600 | ddoe.dc.gov 1200 First Street NE, Washington, DC 20002
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/DC.DDOE
2015 Sustainability Supplement / April 2015 / www.washingtoninformer.com
@DDOE_DC
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@DDOE_DC
EARTH DAY:
THE HISTORY OF A MOVEMENT Each year, Earth Day – April 22 – marks the anniversary of what many consider the birth of the modern environmental movement in 1970. The height of hippie and flower-child culture in the U.S., 1970 brought the death of Jimi Hendrix, the last Beatles album and Simon & Garfunkel’s “Bridge Over Troubled Water.” Protest was the order of the day, but saving the planet was not the cause. War raged in Vietnam, and students nationwide increasingly opposed it.
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At the time, Americans were slurping leaded gas through massive V8 sedans. Industry belched out smoke and sludge with little fear of legal consequences or bad press. Air pollution was commonly accepted as the smell of prosperity. “Environment” was a word that appeared more often in spelling bees than on the evening news. Although mainstream America remained oblivious to environmental concerns, the stage had been set for change by the publication of Rachel Car-
son’s New York Times bestseller Silent Spring in 1962. The book represented a watershed moment for the modern environmental movement, selling more than 500,000 copies in 24 countries and, up until that moment, more than any other person, Carson raised public awareness and concern for living organisms, the environment and public health. Earth Day 1970 capitalized on the emerging consciousness, channeling the energy of the anti-war protest movement and
putting environmental concerns front and center. THE IDEA The idea came to Earth Day founder Gaylord Nelson, then a U.S. Senator from Wisconsin, after witnessing the ravages of the 1969 massive oil spill in Santa Barbara, California. Inspired by the student anti-war movement, he realized that if he could infuse that energy with an emerging public consciousness about air and water pollution, it would force environmental protection onto the national political agenda. Nelson announced the idea for a “national teach-in on the environment” to the national media; persuaded Pete McCloskey, a conservation-minded Republican Congressman, to serve as his co-chair; and recruited Denis Hayes as national coordinator. Hayes built a national staff of 85 to promote events across the land. As a result, on the 22nd of April, 20 million Americans took to the streets, parks, and auditoriums to demonstrate for a healthy, sustainable environment in massive coast-to-coast rallies. Thousands of colleges and universities organized protests against the deterioration of the environment. Groups that had been fighting against oil spills, polluting factories and power plants, raw sewage, toxic dumps, pesticides, freeways, the loss of wilderness and the extinction of wildlife suddenly realized they shared common values. Earth Day 1970 achieved a rare political alignment, enlisting support from Republicans and Democrats, rich and poor, city slickers and farmers, tycoons and labor leaders. The first Earth Day led to the creation of the United States Environmental Protection Agency and the passage of the Clean Air, Clean Water, and Endangered Species Acts. “It was a gamble,” Gaylord recalled, “but it worked.” As 1990 approached, a group of environmental leaders
asked Denis Hayes to organize another big campaign. This time, Earth Day went global, mobilizing 200 million people in 141 countries and lifting environmental issues onto the world stage. Earth Day 1990 gave a huge boost to recycling efforts worldwide and helped pave the way for the 1992 United Nations Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro. It also prompted President Bill Clinton to award Nelson the Presidential Medal of Freedom (1995) – the highest honor given to civilians in the U.S. – for his role as Earth Day founder. EARTH DAY TODAY As the millennium approached, Hayes agreed to spearhead another campaign, this time focused on global warming and a push for clean energy. With 5,000 environmental groups in a record 184 countries reaching out to hundreds of millions of people, Earth Day 2000 combined the big-picture feistiness of the first Earth Day with the international grassroots activism of Earth Day 1990. It used the Internet to organize activists, but also featured a talking drum chain that traveled from village to village in Gabon, Africa, and hundreds of thousands of people gathered on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. Earth Day 2000 sent world leaders the loud and clear message that citizens around the world wanted quick and decisive action on clean energy. The fight for a clean environment continues in a climate of increasing urgency, as the ravages of climate change become more manifest every day. We invite you to be a part of Earth Day and help write many more victories and successes into our history. Discover energy you didn’t even know you had. Feel it rumble through the grassroots under your feet and the technology at your fingertips. Channel it into building a clean, healthy, diverse world for generations to come. n
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By Barrington M. Salmon WI Staff Writer@bsalmondc For the past dozen years, Kathleen Rogers, in her role of President of the Earth Day Network (EDN), has worked to refashion environmental issues in a way that appeals to those often least likely to be involved. Every day, Rogers said, she sees evidence of the devastation of climate change, toxins, pesticides, poor air quality and deforestation in poor communities in the United States and overseas but very rarely are the people in those communities invited to be an active participant in transforming the places where they live. “I looked up the word ‘environment.’ It said ‘what surrounds you.’ You have to meet the people where environment is,” said Rogers, president of the Earth Day Network. “If there’s poor and dirty air, no tree cover, if subway’s far away, you’ll never gain affinity for the environment because your environment is so rotten.” A crucial element of the work EDN does, Rogers said, is broadening the definition of “environment” to include any and all issues that affect people’s health or that of their communities and the environment. That could be anything from promoting activism to stop air and water pollution, greening deteriorated schools, or creating green jobs and investment. All too often, Rogers said, the image of those most actively involved in the environmental movement is that of older white people. But by partnering with individuals like Antonio Gonzalez of the Southwest Voter Registration Education Project, Greg Moore of the NAACP and thousands of disparate individuals and organizations, a whole different constellation of players are now a part of the environmental effort in their respective communities. And the areas they cover go well beyond the environment, Rogers explained, including civil rights, women’s rights and human rights. “I call it environmental
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® democracy which means sticking with the community,” she said. “You have to stick it out, meet the people where they are and do things like work on bond initiatives and dirty water. It seems so obvious so we do this on a micro-scale,” Rogers said. “All of our programs are focused on equality. We keep on trying. If we’re not going to invest, why would they vote for green issues? It’s really importance to change this equation and view voters as people we can invest in. We feel this way in every country in which we operate,” she said. EDN is currently active in 192 countries and is working with more than 50,000 partners on a variety of projects, whether it’s environmental campaigns, voter registration drives, town halls, or organizing federal and state legislative campaigns to green school facilities, promoting green economic policies, improving food in schools and enhancing environmental education and civic engagement. Affecting this type of large-scale change is one Rogers likened to Sisyphus rolling a huge stone up a mountain. “People like me, we’re pathology optimists. We can’t stop being optimistic. It’s a weird, positive sickness,” she said with a laugh. “We’re not here for the big bucks; we have a sense of right and wrong, a strain, a genetic predisposition. And we’re Sisyphean – rolling a big boulder up the hill.” Rogers, who has worked for more than 20 years as an environmental attorney and ad-
vocate, focusing on international and domestic environmental public policy and law, said her organization’s biggest challenge is securing the money needed for all those projects. “We’re not successful most of the time. Our sponsors only want people to vote their way and then they’re gone,” she said. “We all get money from rich funders who parachute into communities on issues, focused stuff and after one or two cycles, you look at funders and you’re starting all over again. You’ll see these guys every two or four years or until they want to use you again.” “But we want to go in and stay – it’s about money, sticking in a community, building permanent infrastructures. We want to build climate voters. Things are just unfair all the way around. It’s not fair for us or the poor. We need to ask sponsors for year-round money. That way, community talent gets to grow and develop where they live.” Under Rogers’ leadership, EDN has developed a significant role in advancing the new green economy and has emerged as a dynamic year-round policy and activist organization. The organization continues to embrace new constituencies, including youth and people of color. Rogers said we are on the cusp of a green energy industrial revolution. In the past, futurists saw the old Industrial Revolution coming while everyone else held onto the status quo. It’s much the same today, she said. “This is more than recycling,” she said. “The Energy Industrial Revolution will completely blow
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“I want young people to have green jobs of the future.”
Kathleen Rogers President Earth Day Network (EDN)
2015 Sustainability Supplement / April 2015 / www.washingtoninformer.com
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out the technology revolution in size and impact,” she gushed. “Every single thing about our lives will change but we have to make it equitable and fair. The sooner the regular person sees it, the more they’ll benefit.” “In China, they’ll work completely on education 18 hours a day. We’re more relaxed, not hungry for it. We have to prepare. Others are getting zoned up with green energy. We have to get hungry for education. I see the incredibly high respect people in other parts of the world have for teachers. If we don’t work with them to produce more Einsteins and Edisons, we’ll be zero.” In this new economy, Rogers said, STEM jobs is where the action is, and young people, rich and poor, must be given access to opportunities. “Things should be level. We have to crank kids up in environmental education. We have to drive our kids to excellence or we’ll have China and India breathing down our necks. I want young people to have green jobs of the future. We have to have inspired leaders, inspire young people about fun things, get them out of the cities and build solar farms. The U.S. has a manageable population. We have great thinkers. We have to elect officials who care about these issues.” n To mark the 45th anniversary of Earth Day, the Earth Day Network and The Global Poverty Project are hosting Global Citizen 2015 Earth Day on Saturday, April 18. Global Citizen 2015 Earth Day is a free event on the National Mall headlined by No Doubt, Usher, Fall Out Boy, Mary J. Blige, Train, and My Morning Jacket, with special guests Common and D’Banj. The event will be hosted by will.i.am and Soledad O’Brien. The goal of Global Citizen 2015 Earth Day is to further the movement to end extreme poverty protect the planet and solve climate change, while ensuring that world leaders address key issues facing the next generation.
The District’s Hottest New Couple: Bald Eagles
The photo is of one of the eagles at the Arboretum and it was taken on April 7, 2015. Photo credit: Dan Rauch, Fish & Wildlife Biologist, District Department of the Environment.
By Daniel Rauch Fish & Wildlife Biologist District Department of the Environment Daniel.Rauch@dc.gov
Did you know that your home could be affecting your family’s health? There may be lead paint threats, asthma triggers, and other hidden hazardous conditions present. Here are some ways the District Department of the Environment (DDOE) can help identify and eliminate these health threats: • If you have a child who is less than 2 years old, make sure your child’s doctor conducts a lead screening, “twice by two” - that is, two screenings by the time your child is two years old. It’s the law! • If your home was built before 1978, it may contain lead-based paint. Peeling lead-based paint is a hazardous condition. Screen your child for possible lead exposure - even after your child turns two years old. • All lead screening results are required to be reported by doctors and laboratories to DDOE. DDOE follows up on results that are above the norm and conducts an inspection to try to figure out how your child is getting exposed, and how to eliminate the threat. • Even if you have no children in your household, it is illegal for peeling paint to be present. If you live in a rental property built before 1978 that contains peeling paint, please contact DDOE’s Lead program for follow-up, at 202-535-1934. • To create a truly “Healthy Home,” DDOE’s Healthy Homes program can come to your home, figure out what kinds of health threats may be lurking, and provide the property owner with a roadmap on how to eliminate those problems. • If a member of your household under 18 years old has been diagnosed with asthma, and you are wondering if any conditions in your home may be contributing to the asthma symptoms, please contact DDOE’s Healthy Homes program for follow-up, at 202-535-2624. Conditions like roach or rodent infestations, mold, and poor ventilation are known to trigger or worsen asthma symptoms.
(202) 535-2600 | ddoe.dc.gov/Lead | ddoe.dc.gov 1200 First Street NE Washington, DC 20002
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/DC.DDOE
@DDOE_DC
@DDOE_DC
There’s a new celebrity couple in town and they are starting a family. A pair of bald eagles has taken up residence at the National Arboretum. In the 20s and 30s, bald eagles were a common sight in the District but by 1950, they were all gone. Habitat loss, illegal hunting, loss of food sources, and pesticide use led to population crashes across the United States. In fact, by the 1960s, fewer than 500 breeding pairs remained. The initial response to the decline of bald eagles and other raptors—such as osprey—was the 1972 banning of a widely used insecticide called DDT. This was quickly followed by the 1973 passage of landmark conservation legislation known as the Endangered Species Act (ESA). The ESA provided federally mandated protections and funding for the recovery of species determined to be endangered or threatened. As a result of this legislation and other protections, the bald eagle began a slow—but steady—recovery. For more than 50 years, eagles continued to visit the District but they would not stay. The long-awaited return of breeding eagles came in 2000, when a pair of eagles built a nest along Newcomb Street, SE. A few years later, they were joined by another pair who constructed their nest at the Metropolitan Police Department Training Academy in Southwest. As of today, there are three nests in the District of Columbia. The bald eagle was removed from the federal Endangered Species List in 2007 when the population stabilized with more than 10,000 breeding pairs. However, none of the eagles have successfully reproduced in the District—until now! The eagles’ return marks the comprehensive success of the District’s conservation programs. In fact, bald eagles are important indicators of an area’s overall environmental health. The National Arboretum eagle eggs are believed to have hatched, and as of today, we believe the eaglets are approximately four weeks old. By June 2015, there should be a new generation of eagles taking flight over the Anacostia River. No longer on the endangered species list, bald eagles are still afforded protection under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918 and the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act of 1940. Hunting, disturbing, harassment, and other actions that could negatively impact eagles are subject to a fine or imprisonment. Bald eagles are also designated as species of concern by a number of states and the District of Columbia—making them a conservation priority against threats like illegal hunting, collisions, urbanization, surface water contamination, and lead poisoning. What’s the moral of this story? Well, if you continue to do your part, then the next time you’re out and about, you just might see a soaring Washington, DC bald eagle. n
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The District: The Model City for Sustainability efficiency lighting, appliances, and heating and cooling equipment than ever. With more opportunities to save energy and money, District residents are finding it easier than ever to take advantage of DCSEU services to reduce energy costs.
By Ted Trabue Managing Director DC Sustainable Energy Utility The District has received national recognition for its leadership in sustainability— in just one year, the District moved up nine places in overall rankings in the 2014 State Energy Efficiency Scorecard of the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE), and the District now leads the nation with the most ENERGY STAR® certified buildings in the country. The DC Sustainable Energy Utility (DCSEU) is honored to represent DC in everything it does. We help DC residents and businesses use less energy and save money. What started in 2011 as an innovative resource for District ratepayers has matured into a model for other cities seeking to realize the environmental, social, and economic benefits of energy efficiency and a strong green economy. The DCSEU’s mission is to ensure everyone in the District has access to energy efficiency and renewable energy resources in order to save money and energy, create jobs, and spur economic opportunity for DC businesses. HELPING DC RESIDENTS SAVE ENERGY AND MONEY Last year, the DCSEU served more than 47,000 District households with energy efficiency services. Those services ranged from reduced price energy-efficient light bulbs in more than 50 retailers in the City to rebates on whole-home energy solutions including insulation, air sealing, and HVAC upgrades. In fact, residents purchased more than 414,000 efficient light bulbs and appliances. The DCSEU now offers more rebates for a wider variety of high
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MAKING ENERGY EFFICIENCY ACCESSIBLE TO ALL When it comes to preserving affordable housing, investing in energy efficiency reduces the highest controllable operating costs for building owners and property managers. In our commitment to serving residents of affordable housing, the DCSEU invested $6.1 million in energy efficiency for income-qualified single and multifamily households. The DCSEU offers technical assistance and financial incentives to developers and property managers who incorporate energy-efficient systems and measures when building or rehabilitating affordable housing in the District. These services can reduce costs for both owners and residents. Incentives to invest in energy-efficient systems and equipment encourage decision makers to go well beyond code requirements, improving the quality of living and home comfort for those who call these buildings home. ENERGY SOLUTIONS FOR SMALL BUSINESS The District is home to more than 60,000 independent businesses. To serve this important pillar of the District’s economy, the DCSEU offers rebates to businesses to reduce upfront costs of energy-efficient equipment. From lighting and HVAC to refrigeration and restaurant equipment, the DCSEU helped more than 500 businesses and institutions save millions of dollars on their energy bills last year. This year, the DCSEU is offering up to $80,000 in rebates per business location on energy-efficient equipment to help owners reduce the up-front costs of energy efficiency and save money for years to come.
and train entry-level professionals for work in a more sustainable DC. Last year, the DCSEU helped create more than 159,000 hours of work for DC residents and invested more than $4 million with District-based certified business enterprises (CBEs). This year, through our workforce development
initiative, we are placing more than 50 externs with DC businesses to enhance their marketable skills and provide training aimed at helping them to obtain full-time employment. Power isn’t everything; it’s how you use it that makes a difference. Energy efficiency empowers the
District by stabilizing energy costs, creating jobs, stimulating economic growth, and reducing carbon emissions. We look forward to measuring our success in terms of the energy and dollar savings of our customers and our commitment to everyone living and working in the District. n
Solar PV systems installed in the Skyland Terrace neighborhood.
POWER
ISN’T EVERYTHING. it’s
HOW USE IT. YOU
DC residents are stepping up and making smart energy choices. Are you?
ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY AND GREEN JOBS When it comes to the DCSEU’s work, contractors do more than just carry out energy efficiency projects. They increase the number of green collar jobs in the District, spread awareness of DCSEU offerings to potential customers,
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Connect at www.dcseu.com #REPRESENTDC
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Environment is a High Priority for Pepco and Exelon From the White House to your house, the District of Columbia is a diverse and vibrant city. It’s also a place where businesses can develop and grow. Last year, Exelon and Pepco Holdings Inc. announced an agreement to combine companies to create the leading Mid-Atlantic electric and gas utility. Our proposed merger will bring exciting benefits to families, communities, businesses, and the economy here in the District. If the merger is approved, Pepco customers will directly benefit from programs such as bill credits, low-income assistance and energy efficiency through a $33.75 million Customer Investment Fund. Local community organizations can expect continued charitable contributions and volunteer support. The merger will also bring enhanced reliability to our electric grid, cutting the number and length of power outages, plus additional resources to speed restoration after storms. Along with these improvements, District residents will benefit from our continued commitment to sustainability. Both Exelon and PHI have long recognized the benefits of reducing our carbon footprint by operating our
Pepco and Exelon: Enhancing Sustainability in the District
Today, more than ever, we’re all aware of how the choices we make impact the environment. Exelon and Pepco Holdings share a commitment to making the right choices when it comes to sustainability, environmental stewardship and efficient energy services for our customers. One of the benefits that Exelon can bring to its proposed merger with Pepco Holdings is support for renewable energy, such as wind and solar. Renewable energy is an important and growing part of Exelon’s generation portfolio and a critical component of our efforts to advance clean energy. Exelon is the country’s 11th largest wind producer, with approximately 1,390 megawatts of wind generation in 12 states. In 2013,
Exelon continued to invest in low-carbon generation, including 153 megawatts of new utility-scale solar generation as part of the 230-megawatt Antelope Valley Solar Ranch in Southern California. Exelon has made other major investments in solar, as well. We built and own the nation’s largest urban solar project on Chicago’s South Side, which can power the equivalent of up to 1,500 homes per year; and our Constellation subsidiary has 200 megawatts of retail customer solar installations installed or under contract nationwide. In 2013, we installed 1,940 solar panels on Dunbar High School in the District of Columbia. This system has the ability to meet approximately 20 percent of the school’s annual estimated energy
Exelon and PHI also are committed to protecting our natural resources, especially those on lands that host our operations. (courtesy Exelon-Pepco)
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businesses in ways that reduce greenhouse gas emissions and protect our environment. After the merger, this commitment will continue and grow. Investing in renewable energy is important to us. Clean energy sources like wind and solar are a growing part of our generation portfolio and a critical component of our efforts to advance a brighter, more sustainable future. In fact, Exelon is the nation’s 11th largest wind energy producer and the owner of the nation’s largest urban solar plant. In 2013, Exelon subsidiary Constellation installed 1,940 solar panels on Dunbar High School in the District. The system will meet approximately 20 percent of the school’s annual estimated energy needs and is one of the largest rooftop solar power systems on a single building in the District. We look forward to supporting more clean energy sources in the District going forward. Our merger with Pepco will provide substantial benefits to District customers and communities. By uniting our resources and expertise as one company, we can provide the District of Columbia with the reliable, clean and affordable energy needed to serve our nation’s capital. Melissa Sherrod Vice President, Corporate Relations, Exelon
needs and is one of the largest rooftop solar power systems on a single building in the District. ADDRESSING CLIMATE CHANGE Both companies have long recognized the benefits of reducing global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and, as a result, have taken steps to reduce our carbon footprints. In fact, Exelon was an early leader in reducing emissions, surpassing its “Exelon 2020” goal – to eliminate 17.5 million metric tons of GHG emissions per year – seven years early in 2013. PHI also has taken steps to protect the environment with annual GHG emissions reports for the EPA and local affiliates. In 2013, PHI reduced its GHG emissions by 19 percent and was recognized by the Energy Information Agency for its commitment to environmental protection. PRESERVING LAND AND WATER Exelon and PHI also are committed to protecting our natural resources, especially those on lands that host our operations. Both companies help preserve the natural ecologies of the communities we serve by participating in the following initiatives: • Long standing partnerships with the Wildlife Habitat Council to help maintain wildlife habitats at company facilities, including certified Wildlife at Work programs in Maryland, Washington, D.C., and New Jersey. • PHI’s Energy-Saving Trees program has delivered 21,000 free trees to customers’ homes to date. Exelon has installed lifts and ladders that allow migrating fish to travel upstream at hydroelectric facilities.
Exelon and PHI recognize the important role we play in helping customers better manage their energy usage and save money. (courtesy Exelon-Pepco)
Plus, all of Exelon and PHI’s utilities have received annual recognition as Tree Line USA utilities by the Arbor Day Foundation. SUSTAINABLE CUSTOMER PROGRAMS Exelon and PHI recognize the important role we play in helping customers better manage their energy usage and save money. Energy savings programs, home energy audits, lighting discounts, appliance recycling and home improvement rebates are just a few of the ways we help our customers reduce both their environmental impact and their monthly utility bills. FOR EXAMPLE: • In Maryland, Exelon’s BGE utility created the Smart Energy Savers Program® to provide customers with incentives that helped save more than 14 million megawatt-hours of energy over the past three years. • Through its Smart Ideas Fridge and Freezer Recycling program, Exelon’s ComEd utility in Illinois recycled its 200,000th unit in 2014, helping to keep more than 13,000
tons of metal, 2,500 tons of plastic and 500 tons of glass out of Illinois landfills. • In Pennsylvania, Exelon’s PECO utility has generated more than $350 million in customer energy savings, the same environmental impact as removing more than 145,000 cars from roadways, since 2009 through its Smart Ideas program. • PHI’s Energy Wise Rewards program provides customers with a smart thermostat or an outdoor switch to help save energy on hot summer days when demand for electricity is highest. Our track record proves it – we take our environmental commitment seriously and that won’t change after our two companies combine. In fact, the combination of Exelon and Pepco Holdings will result in a company that is better positioned to enhance sustainability in the District. Together, we will be even more effective in helping customers make their homes and businesses more efficient, while conserving energy, saving money and benefiting the environment. n
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PEPCO AND EXELON:
Powering a Brighter Future The proposed merger of Pepco and Exelon will bring exciting benefits to families, communities, businesses, our economy, and the District of Columbia, including: • Improved reliability for Pepco customers, with enhanced performance commitments – resulting in fewer and shorter power outages and additional resources to speed storm restoration • $33.75 million for the District’s Customer Investment Fund that may be used for bill credits, low income assistance or energy efficiency programs • $51.2 million in projected merger savings over 10 years, which will flow back to Pepco’s D.C. customers through electric rates that are lower than they would be without the merger • $168 million to $260 million in economic benefits to the District • Continued annual charitable contributions and local community support – exceeding Pepco’s 2013 level of $1.6 million for 10 years following the merger • Hundreds of jobs in the District and the region The merger will maintain Pepco’s local presence and local leadership, while bringing together Exelon’s three electric and gas utilities (BGE, ComEd and PECO) and Pepco Holdings’ three electric and gas utilities (Atlantic City Electric, Delmarva Power and Pepco) to create the leading mid-Atlantic electric and gas utility.
TO L E A R N MORE, V I S I T PHITOMORROW.COM PA I D F O R BY E X E LO N S H A R E H O L D E R S
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The Exelon-Pepco Merger: Powering a Brighter Future for the District From the iconic glow of the Capitol dome to the living rooms of families in all four quadrants of the city, we’re proud to be a trusted member and partner in keeping the nation’s capital running. For residents of the greater Washington, DC, region, the benefits of a united Exelon and Pepco Holdings would go beyond reliable, sustainable and affordable energy. We’re working to help build a stronger community by producing powerful results for the region and enriching the lives of our customers. INVESTING IN OUR CUSTOMERS Exelon recently enhanced its package of merger commitments to provide even greater benefits to
Pepco customers, their communities and the District. Exelon and Pepco Holdings have more than doubled the proposed value of the Customer Investment Fund to $33.75 million from $14 million. In addition to the near-term, direct benefits of the Customer Investment Fund, another $51.2 million in projected merger savings over 10 years will flow back to District customers through rates that are lower than they would be without the merger. Exelon and PHI have also enhanced reliability performance commitments, setting new targets for reducing the frequency and duration of power outages in the District. • Pepco’s reliability performance will meet or exceed the District of Columbia Public Service Commis-
sion’s current standard for outage frequency and duration from 2018 to 2020. • Pepco’s average outage duration in its District operational area will not exceed 90 minutes, a 39.6 percent improvement over Pepco’s average performance over the years from 2011 to 2013. • Pepco’s average outage frequency in its District operational area will not exceed 0.66 outages, a 35.9 percent improvement over Pepco’s average performance over the years from 2011 to 2013. • Pepco and Exelon will reach these reliability targets without increasing Pepco’s forecasted reliability spending. • Exelon has also offered to be subject to enhanced financial penalties of up to $5.6 million on an
PEPCO AND EXELON:
Empowering The District We are a diverse collection of nonprofit and business groups that represent and serve the people of the District of Columbia. We believe the proposed merger of Pepco and Exelon will benefit the District’s residents, communities, civic life and business environment. If approved, this merger will create savings that will be passed on in customers’ utility bills, saving families and businesses more of their hard-earned money every month. It means honoring and maintaining Pepco’s strong commitment to workforce-and supplier-diversity programs. It means more jobs for District workers. That’s good for families, local businesses, and the District’s workforce. It means millions of dollars more that could be used for programs such as bill credits, low-income assistance and energy efficiency programs through a $33.75 million Customer Investment Fund. It also means continued annual charitable contributions and local community support – exceeding Pepco’s 2013 level of $1.6 million for 10 years following the merger. And it means $168 million to
annual basis if it falls short of these goals. The improved package of benefits aligns with commitments in New Jersey, which has approved the merger, and Delaware, where Exelon and Pepco Holdings have achieved a settlement agreement. INVESTING IN THE ECONOMY The proposed merger will add jobs and inject millions of dollars into the local Washington, D.C., economy. • In addition to the direct benefits of the Customer Investment Fund, another $51.2 million in projected merger savings over 10 years will flow back to Washington, D.C., Pepco customers through rates. • The merger commitments will result in significant economic benefits for the District as detailed in an economic-modeling analysis included in the merger approval filings. • Combined with the reliability-improvement projects already announced by PHI and underway, the merger commitments will produce 1,500 to 2,400 new jobs and between $168 million to $260 million in benefits to the Washington, D.C. economy. • These results are expected within six years after the merger closes. INVESTING IN OUR WORKFORCE Exelon and Pepco’s existing commitments related to Pepco employment and workforce and supplier diversity will not change with this enhanced package of benefits. • Commitment to maintain existing operational headquarters for all three PHI utilities, including Pepco in Washington, D.C., and honor all collective bargaining
agreements. • Commitment to make a goodfaith effort to hire more than 100 union workers in Washington, D.C., in the first two years after the merger closes. • Commitment to move jobs into the District of Columbia that are now in Arlington, Va., with Pepco Energy Services (currently approximately 50 jobs). • Commitment to no net involuntary merger-related job losses at Pepco for at least two years after the merger. • Commitment that current Pepco employees will receive compensation and benefits at least as favorable in the aggregate as those provided before the merger for at least two years following the transaction. • Commitment that, at the close of the merger, Dave Velazquez, currently executive vice president, PHI Power Delivery, will become president and chief executive officer of the PHI utilities. Donna Cooper will also remain with Pepco as regional president. INVESTING IN OUR COMMUNITY Pepco has historically made contributions in the District to support local organizations and initiatives, as well as groups that have a national focus, such as the Trust for the National Mall. Exelon shares Pepco’s commitment to the local communities it serves. In the District of Columbia, Exelon has committed to provide an annual average of charitable contributions and local community support that exceeds Pepco’s 2013 level of $1.6 million for 10 years following the merger. Together, we’re building a better company and a stronger District of Columbia. n
$260 million in economic benefits to the District. That’s good for communities and those most in need. It also means enhanced reliability of our electric grid and additional resources to speed storm restoration. It means a commitment to sustainability and corporate citizenship. It means continued local presence and local leadership. And it means millions of dollars more invested in our local economy. That’s good for all of us.
WE SUPPORT THE PROPOSED PEPCO AND EXELON MERGER.
OF GREATER GREA WASHINGT W ON
LEARN MORE AND LET YOUR VOICE BE HEARD. VISIT WWW.PHITOMORROW.COM PA I D FO R BY E X E LO N S H A R E H O L D E R S
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From the iconic glow of the Washington Monument to the living rooms of families in all four quadrants of the city, we’re proud to be a trusted member and partner in keeping the nation’s capital running. (courtesy Exelon-Pepco)
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3 Ways to Become More Environmentally Friendly in 2015 (BPT) - Whether you’re motivated by a workplace initiative, a personal goal or the opportunity to teach your children lifelong positive habits, now is a great time to become more environmentally friendly. Earth Day is April 22, but there’s still plenty of time to develop eco-friendly habits before the big day arrives. Here are three ways your family can create positive environmental change starting today.
RECYCLE Research shows that less than 2 percent of waste in the United States is recycled, yet almost half of all trash can be recycled. School lunches are one source of waste that most families don’t consider. These are packed each morning and tossed away each afternoon once lunchtime is finished. To increase awareness of recycling options during lunch, Entenmann’s Little Bites Snacks has partnered with the recycling and upcycling experts at TerraCycle for the “Turn Trash to Cash” program, giving students the chance to recycle their Little Bites snack pouches and earn money for their school. TerraCycle can recycle the pouches to create products like tote bags, pencil cases and even picnic benches. You can learn more about the campaign by visiting TerraCycle on Facebook.
PROTECT WATER RESOURCES Water is one of the most important resources people
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have, yet every year billions of gallons are needlessly wasted. You can conserve water in your home by teaching your children to take shorter showers or baths, turning off dripping faucets and avoiding letting the water run while they are brushing their teeth. You can also reduce water waste in your home by investing in water-saving appliances and by reducing or eliminating the practice of watering your lawn, relying on rain to do so instead.
This year Entenmann’s is partnering with the Arbor Day Foundation for the Little Bites’ Earth Day Sweepstakes. For every entry, fan or not, received through the Little Bites Facebook page, Entenmann’s will donate $1 to the Arbor Day Foundation to plant a tree - up to 25,000 trees in total. The sweepstakes starts March 1. You can learn more at the Little Bites Facebook page. Environmentally friendly habits are easy to pick up and they can be a great way to bond with your children on a shared project while developing lifelong habits. So don’t wait another minute! Start your family down the eco-friendly path today. n
HELP PLANT A TREE Few things are as beautiful as a tall, healthy tree. But trees are more than just a beautiful backdrop, as they are also essential to the environment. Here are four reasons why from the Arbor Day Foundation: 1. Trees help clean the air. They improve the quality of the air you breathe by capturing dust and pollution particles that can affect your health. 2. Trees help fight climate change. As trees grow, they remove greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide from the air, store carbon, and release pure oxygen into the atmosphere. 3. Trees planted along waterways can help filter out chemicals that might otherwise wash to water sources. They also can create stable soil and help prevent soil erosion, flooding and even landslides. 4. Trees properly planted around a home can help lower air conditioning and heating costs by up to 25 percent.
2015 Sustainability Supplement / April 2015 / www.washingtoninformer.com
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Energy Security Critical to Our Community: Don’t let Exelon Monopolize our Electricity By Akili West Sustainability is about more than recycling, or turning off lights in an empty room. It is about creating healthy and economically vibrant communities. This is why DC SUN has worked to make solar affordable and accessible to all residents. It is also why we should oppose Exelon’s proposed takeover of Pepco. The proposed takeover is a bad deal that threatens to raise our electricity rates, eliminate good DC jobs and risk the financial and medical health of our community. This proposed merger will do nothing to increase the reliability of electricity
service, as Exelon will still be dependent on the local expertise and grid knowledge of current Pepco employees. Our elected officials must know that we don’t want to settle with Exelon. Exelon’s financial interests are at odds with ours. Exelon owns a significant stake in electricity generation, particularly nuclear plants. The company benefits from high electricity prices and customers using power inefficiently. The increase in cheap natural gas has lowered the wholesale power prices that Exelon depends on for the bulk of its revenue. Exelon’s operating earnings have been in decline for several years. Exelon wants to buy Pepco to use its second line of business, retail electric
utilities, to increase the profitability of its nuclear electricity generation business. It would do so by raising our electric rates. At the same time that Exelon will raise our electric rates, they’ll also cut local jobs and outsource important decision making to their corporate headquarters in Chicago. At the time the deal was announced, Exelon executives said there would be a reduction in the number of employees. This, they claim, will create “synergies”. Meanwhile, Pepco shareholders will receive a 25% premium on their stock holdings from Exelon. If this weren’t bad enough, Exelon also poses a real threat to the success we’ve had developing homegrown solar energy in the
April is
National Safe Digging Month The Public Service Commission of the District of Columbia encourages District residents to:
“Know What’s Below, Call 811 Before You Dig” Simple digging jobs can damage utility lines, which can disrupt service to an entire neighborhood, harm diggers, and potentially result in fines and repair costs. When you dial 811, your call will be directed to the local One Call Center and the affected utilities. In a few days, they'll send a locator to mark the approximate location of your underground lines, pipes and cables for free. Now you'll know what's below - and be able to dig safely. The Public Service Commission of the District of Columbia 202-626-5100 | www.dcpsc.org
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area. Exelon has a track record of opposing policies that expand access to rooftop solar energy. Exelon’s opposition to renewable energy would hit us right in the wallet. Rooftop solar is financially beneficial to everyone, even those who don’t have panels on their own rooftop. Solar panels produce energy during the day. This adds additional electric capacity to the electric grid when demand, and therefore prices, for electricity are highest. In this way, all consumers benefit from the electricity solar produces. Exelon would threaten the rule, ‘net metering’, that allows owners of solar to sell their electricity to other customers. It is clear Exelon fears new competition. Worse, they’ve used their fear of competition to divide utility customers. Their newfound concern about low-income ratepayers is just an excuse to levy unfair charges on solar energy producers so that no one, no matter their income level, can benefit from solar energy. This new concern comes just as the cost of solar has dropped enough to allow anyone in DC to produce their own energy more cheaply than buying electricity from the utility. Exelon also opposes ‘community solar’. Community solar allows any utility customer to purchase electricity from a solar system. This is a great opportunity for people who don’t own their home, or who don’t have a suitable roof to take advantage of the energy savings from solar. Solar isn’t just financially beneficial for consumers. It also brings jobs to our community. There are more than 200 solar jobs in DC now, and the sector will continue to grow quickly unless Exelon is allowed to create an unfair playing field for its own energy. Clean energy from solar is vital to the physical health of our community as well. A report by the NAACP found communities of color face disproportionate
negative impacts from the harm caused by fossil fuel generation. More than two-thirds of African-Americans live within 30 miles of a coal-fired power plant. This puts our community at higher risk for as asthma, and lung disease among other ailments. There is a path to create a more sustainable community. The first step is rejecting Exelon’s bad deal merger with Pepco. This will create an opportunity to continue the beneficial development we’ve seen of renewable energy. Next, we must continue to fight for policies that expand access to solar energy. Maryland is considering legislation to allow community solar projects. The bill (HB 1087) passed the House by an overwhelming 111-29 margin and is now before the senate. In DC, the city council passed a similar bill. DC residents are waiting for the Public Services Commission to issue final regulations before proceeding. As part of its effort to expand access to solar, DC’s Department of the Environment (DDOE) and the DC Sustainable Energy Utility (DCSEU) launched a program to help low-income District residents install solar on their homes. This program provides rebates to cover the full cost to install solar panels. At the same time, solar cooperatives continue to grow across the region. These co-ops provide homeowners a discount on their solar purchase and provide a supportive group of solar enthusiasts to help ensure the installation process goes smoothly. They are part of a sustainable way for our community to use energy and secure our future. n Akili Ward is the founder of the Ward 8 renewable energy co-op. For more info, please visit: www. dcsun.org
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Office of the People’s Counsel’s (OPC) “Powers People First.”
By Sandra Mattavous-Frye People’s Counsel I am thrilled that the Washington Informer is making its readers aware of the critical importance of energy efficiency and sustainability as viable resources to all residents and consumers in the District of Columbia. Undoubtedly, these issues, and the proposed Pepco merger with Exelon, will define the future of the District’s energy environment. As a result, I encourage District consumers to learn more about these issues by attending the Office of the People’s Counsel’s (OPC) community forum, “Horizons 2015, Uniting Energy Technology and Consumers,” on April 18, 2015 at the University of the District of Columbia School of Law, located at 4340 Connecticut Avenue NW. We urge everyone to come and learn how the Office of the People’s Counsel is “Powering People First.” OPC, by law, is the people’s advocate for all matters affecting their public utility service. During my tenure as People’s Counsel, energy efficiency and sustainability, along with affordable rates, reliable service and consumer empowerment have been the cornerstones of OPC. When I became People’s Counsel, I created our Energy Efficiency and Sustainability Division to provide real tools to real people to inform them about renewable energy and energy efficiency. My goal is to make the new technologies, and the options they bring, available to all of our consumers, including seniors, low income residents, non-English speaking/limited English speaking residents and others to help everyone learn about and take part in the rapid changes in the utility mar-
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ketplace. We are dedicated to ensuring that the benefits of new energy options and technology are enjoyed universally, regardless of income, type of housing, language or where individuals live in the city. Utility service is not a luxury; it is an essential service that affects the quality of life for all of our residents. District residents should never be forced to choose between utility service and food, medicine and safety in their homes. OPC has had phenomenal success in teaching District residents and providing them tools to save energy and reduce their energy bills. We have conducted over 300 Energy Workshops during the last three years, reaching out to every ward in the city. I encourage all residents and leaders
of tenant, civic and community organizations who want to be “energy smart” to attend OPC’s Energy Efficiency workshops. We provide consumers with tips on how to take control of their energy bills, develop better energy saving habits, information about DC programs to help fund energy upgrades and save money. We encourage District residents to call our office to schedule a workshop session at 202-727-3071. With regard to renewable energy options, OPC was a principal supporter of the Community Renewable Energy Amendment Act of 2013, that allows all residents, regardless of whether they own property, to benefit from solar power through subscriptions to community-shared renewable energy facilities. OPC also supported
the Renewable Energy Portfolio Standard legislation which mandates aggressive requirements for the use of renewables, including solar power, in the supply mix of our energy providers. OPC has also been a member of the Sustainable Energy Utility Advisory Board since the enactment of the Clean and Affordable Energy Act in 2008. We are now reach-
ing out to faith-based communities to help them take advantage of all renewable energy options including solar power. Energy Efficiency and Sustainability is the wave of the future and the Office of the People’s Counsel wants to ensure that all the citizens of the District of Columbia share in the benefits. OPC “Powers People First.” n
Office of the People’s Counsel for the District of Columbia 1133 15th Street, NW, Suite 500 | Washington, DC 20005 Phone: 202.727.3071 | Fax: 202.727.1014 | TTY/TTD: 202.727.2876 Email: ccceo@opc-dc.gov | Website: www.opc-dc.gov www.facebook.com/DCPeoplesCounsel | Twitter: @DCOPC
Three Ways Your Technology Can Help You Go Green this Earth Day (StatePoint) These days, there’s no reason why you can’t be both tech-savvy and an environmentalist. More gadgets and technical appliances are trending green, and this Earth Day is the perfect time to learn how you can adopt some of these innovations in your life. To reduce your family’s overall impact on the environment, consider this lineup of eco-friendly technologies: GREEN APPS There are hundreds of apps designed to help you make earth-friendly lifestyle changes -- from PaperKarma, an app which helps you stop the flow of junk mail to your home, to the Green Gumshoe, which facilitates the reporting of environmental incidents to the correct authorities. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is a good resource for finding and locating the best green apps. What’s more, they offer developer tools for those wishing to make their own green apps using EPA data. LAMP-FREE PROJECTOR TECHNOLOGY If your home, school or business could use a green makeover, an easy place to start is by replacing an outdated projector with something more energy efficient. For example, Casio’s Lamp-Free Projectors consume 1/3 less power per unit than traditional lampbased projectors by using a Laser & LED Hybrid Light Source. Guided by Intelligent Brightness Control, you can conserve power up to 50 percent because the projectors automatically adjust brightness to suit the room. For every 6,000 hours of use, that amounts to approximately $800 dollars saved compared to a traditional lamp-based projector. In addition, Casio’s portfolio of projectors, including its SLIM series, takes environmental consciousness a step further by eliminating harmful mercury bulbs from the equation. SOLAR CHARGERS You may rely on multiple devices to get you through the day,
2015 Sustainability Supplement / April 2015 / www.washingtoninformer.com
PHOTO CREDIT: Warakorn - Fotolia.com
from your mobile phone to your tablet to your laptop. It’s easy to keep these items running without draining electricity, even when you’re on the go. Solar chargers come in all shapes and sizes these days -- clam shell, tree branches, foldable -- you can even buy a backpack or laptop case equipped with a solar panel. With so many manufacturers greening their offerings, consider taking stock of your tech gear this Earth Day and making eco-friendly swaps. n
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How to Audit Your Home’s Energy Efficiency (BPT) - A home that wastes energy can put significant strain on your budget. Extremely cold winter temperatures and scorching summers, together with a poorly performing thermal system will drive monthly heating and cooling costs higher than expected. So what can you do to cut the waste and the expense? For starters, clean all the filters in your heating and cooling equipment. This helps to improve the efficiency of your home; however, the best way to tackle your home’s energy inefficiencies head on is to understand your home’s overall performance with an energy audit. To perform the audit, a certified Home Energy Rater will conduct a series of tests to provide an overall efficiency rating in much the same way that household appliances are rated.
Armed with this information, you can make home improvement decisions that further boost your home’s energy efficiency. One common energy audit test is a door blower, or airflow, test. A large fan is used to pull air out of the house and create negative pressure inside. The higher air pressure outside the home then flows into the home through the unsealed cracks and openings. To detect where these air leaks are located, the auditor will use a smoke pencil. A well-sealed home should have no air leaks. The auditor may also complete a comprehensive infrared scan of your home using an infrared camera. These scans provide a clear image of where the inefficiencies in your home are. One of the easiest ways to dramatically improve the overall performance of your home fol-
Extremely cold winter temperatures and scorching summers, together with a poorly performing thermal system will drive monthly heating and cooling costs higher than expected. lowing an energy audit is to assess your home’s existing insulation. Insulation and a tight air seal are vital to keeping the temperature inside your home comfortable and consistent all year round. Another effective solution that offers immediate and long-term cost savings is replacing your home’s traditional fibrous insulation with high-performance spray foam insulation. Spray foam insulation, such as Icynene, is a wise investment for homeowners who want to make significant
improvements to their home that have a long-term, positive impact. Able to perform in all climates, spray foam insulation allows homeowners to utilize air-conditioning systems more efficiently throughout the summer and their furnaces during winter. As a modern insulation solution, spray foam insulation expands rapidly to completely seal a home’s walls, floors and ceilings and prevent air leakage. Insulation experts from Icynene note that quality spray foam insulation
can noticeably reduce monthly cooling and heating costs, in some cases by up to 50 percent. Additionally, spray foam insulation helps minimize random airborne moisture and pollutants from entering the home. This is ideal for anyone suffering from seasonal allergies, an important consideration as spring arrives. For more information on how spray foam insulation can help homeowners optimize the efficiency of their home, visit www. icynene.com. n
WHERE YOUR HOUSE LEAKS MONEY
An energy efficient insulation, such as spray foam insulation can Reduce heating and cooling costs by up to 50% due to its sealing abilities. Courtesy of www.icynene.com
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EARTH DAY NETWORK 2015
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DC Water Biosolids Management Program By Pat Wheeler WI Contributing Writer It took more than 10 years, two general managers and $460 million dollars, but before the summer is out, Washington, D.C. will be the site of the world’s largest biosolids management and treatment programs. Just what are biosolids? The answer to that question is what DC Water and Sewer Authority (DC Water) will be educating its consumers about. One of DC Water’s main responsibilities is the treatment of the 300 gallons of waste water that DC and suburban homes flush away every day. The way DC Water has been treating waste up to this point is to add biological organisms to this waste material. These organisms help turn this waste into a Class B biosolid that can be used as fertilizer for landscaping plants. The process takes about 20 days and requires 60 tankard trucks a day to cart this fertilizer to landscaping farms in Virginia. And this process only handles about a fraction of the waste that needs to be treated. Obviously, something else needed to be done. There is technology that will help address this problem. Used by several cities in the U.S. and overseas, digesters are machines that can cut the 20-day processing time down considerably and turn the resulting byproduct into methane gas which can then be used for energy. The problem for DC Water is that these digesters require a lot of space, something that DC Water which sits on a fixed site at Blue Plains does not have. Former General Manager Jerry Johnson began researching solutions to this problem, and when the current CEO ad General Manager George Hawkins started at DC Water in 2009, this was one of the first projects he set his sights on completing. Building on the research that Johnson had started, Hawkins took his search worldwide to find a technological solution. He found it in Norway and it’s called Cambi™. Cambi™ is a treatment process that turns waste material into heavy paste, and then cooks it under high heat and high
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pressure thereby speeding up the digestion process. Hawkins compares it to “a turbo charger on a car.” But before DC Water invested in this new technology from Norway, Hawkins wanted to make sure it would work here. Hawkins and his team studied more than 30 peer reviewed papers on this process, and then paid a waste treatment facility in Scotland to change its waste to match DC Water’s and use the Cambi™ system to make ensure that it would work here. It did. When the Biosolids Management Program is completed in June, the facility will include four anaerobic digesters, four Cambi™ treatmenttrains, a pre-dewatering centrifuge building, a combined heat and power plant, a gas treatment facility and it will be the largest facility of its kind in the world. Expansion is also part of the plan. The site layout includes provisions for future construction of four more digesters and additional centrifuges and Cambi™ trains. The power plant is being built by PEPCO Energy Services and upon completion it will be able to generate enough power to run about one-third of the treatment plant at Blue Plains. This will be a major benefit, since the treatment plant is currently the largest user of energy in the city. Hawkins is excited about the many benefits this new biosolids program will bring to the city. Among the benefits he lists are: • Reduction of truck traffic from 60 to 30 tankard trucks a day, as well as less gas and less pollutants; • The ability to change the waste material to a Class A biosolid that can be packaged and sold as organic compost; and • With more awareness and action to address climate change, a reduction in DC Water’s carbon footprint. Hawkins credits his entire team for all the work needed to complete this project and he credits the DC Water board of directors for having the vision to see what a benefit this would be for DC and suburban rate payers. While it would be easy for Hawkins to rest on the success of this project, he points out that there are still several major
projects underway. Work on the $3 billion Combined Sewage Overflow program continues and will not be completed until 2025. DC Water is also investing $950 million to achieve the next level of nutrient reductions and help restore the Chesapeake Bay. For now, Hawkins is looking forward to the launch of the Biosolid Management Program in a few weeks. Because it is the first of its kind in the U.S., other cities, states and countries will be watching DC Water to see how well the program works. Hawkins welcomes the attention. He believes DC Water can be the model for better waste water treatment. n
Blue Plains, located in Southeast in Ward 8, is expected to become the site of the world’s largest biosolids management and treatment programs by the end of the summer 2015. /Courtesy Photo
April is
National Safe Digging Month The Public Service Commission of the District of Columbia encourages District residents to:
“Know What’s Below, Call 811 Before You Dig” Simple digging jobs can damage utility lines, which can disrupt service to an entire neighborhood, harm diggers, and potentially result in fines and repair costs. When you dial 811, your call will be directed to the local One Call Center and the affected utilities. In a few days, they'll send a locator to mark the approximate location of your underground lines, pipes and cables for free. Now you'll know what's below - and be able to dig safely. The Public Service Commission of the District of Columbia 202-626-5100 | www.dcpsc.org
2015 Sustainability Supplement / April 2015 / www.washingtoninformer.com
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University of DC: Campus of Sustainability By Stacy M. Brown WI Contributing Writer One look around campus at the University of the District of Columbia and it’s easy to see why many schools around the nation are holding the school, located in Northwest, as a shining example of green living and sustainability. A state of the art demonstration kitchen sits on the Van Ness campus and it supports the Department of Nutrition and the Center for Nutrition, Diet and Health. An 18,000 square foot food-producing green roof caps another building and a soon-to-be certified Environmental Quality Testing Lab for the Water Resources Research Institute is stationed in another. Also, the university boasts the Muirkirk Research Farm, which is becoming increasingly renowned for its use of innovative technology to be applied for bio-intensive agricultural production system in urban settings. Then, there’s the urban green entrepreneurship and green infrastructure offered under the Center for Sustainable Development and the establishing of a farmers market in each ward to distribute healthy fresh produce from UDC’s research farm in Beltsville. Finally, officials pointed out that UDC has an international collaboration with Aruba and Malawi to enhance food and water security in those areas while initiatives like the storm water management system, the installation of a geothermal production facility to power the new student center, the Garden of the Senses and even Brita water
filtration stations found around campus are indicators of UDC’s future direction. “The University of the District of Columbia has taken strides to be more environmentally friendly, ensuring the long term sustainability of the campus and our students,” said Dr. Kamran Zendehdel, the assistant director of UDC’s Center for Sustainable Development. “From our research farm to the green roof currently under construction, UDC is fully embracing sustainability as not just a trend, but a way of life,” said Zendehdel whose research focus is on various components of urban sustainability. Zendehdel also teaches environmental policy making and he formerly worked as an environmental scientist at Tetra Tech Inc. in Fairfax, Virginia where he managed the Chesapeake Bay non-point source pollution control project. UDC has been the recipient of several awards and grants including in 2014 when the school was named one of the honorees of the Sustainable DC Innovation Challenge, winning three-out-of-seven grants totaling $921,000. “These Sustainable DC Innovation Challenge grants demonstrate that a dollar invested in sustainability can return multiple benefits for the city,” then-Mayor Vincent Gray said while announcing the award. “By building outdoor classrooms, urban farms and greenhouses and green infrastructure for storm-water control we can help educate the next generation, increase access to healthy foods, expand job training and business opportunities and ensure protection of our natural
UDC is recognized as a leading example of green living and sustainability. /Courtesy UDC
resources,” Gray said. The College of Agriculture, Urban Sustainability and Environmental Sciences (CAUSES) of the University of the District of Columbia was awarded three grants: one for building three state of the art neighborhood scale aquaponics facilities; one for building a commercial kitchen facility and food truck to promote nutrition, job-skills and entrepreneurship training; and one to create a native plants nursery to combat invasive plant species and restoration native habitats. All three facilities will serve as community education center to create local green-jobs training. “We consider sustainability to be a key principle in our academic offerings, so that our students retain a lasting commitment to
Dishes prepared by UDC chefs use fresh produce from UDC’s research farm in Beltsville. The produce is also distributed at farmers market in each ward across the District. / Photo by DR Barnes ®
EARTH DAY NETWORK 2015
ensuring the health of the planet,” said Leslie Malone, the marketing and communications manager for the College of Agriculture, Urban Sustainability and Environmental Sciences of the UDC. Malone said UDC is collaborating with the District Department of the Environment (DDOE) to host the official 2015 DC Earth Day Event: “Path to Zero Waste,” with Mayor Muriel Bowser, DDOE Director Tommy Wells and others. She said the event, which will begin at 9 a.m. on Wednesday, April 22 at UDC’s Connecticut Avenue Northwest location, will inform attendees about how the District is working to increase the recycling rate, adopt new innovative technologies and work towards zero waste as defined in the Sustainable DC Plan. “This summit will provide an opportunity to network with attendees from the waste management industry as well as representatives from the nonprofit, government, university, embassy and health care sectors,” school officials said in a news release. Further, Zendehdel said UDC’s College of Agriculture, Urban Sustainability and Environmental Sciences (CAUSES) has partnered with many nonprofit organizations like the Anacostia Watershed Society, Washington Parks and People and the 11th Street Bridge Park project to work on several sustainable projects across the District. “That brings a great opportunity to involve community into environmental projects and make sure that District residents are invested in these projects,” he said. “As a college, CAUSES has only
been a collective unit for only a few short years. CAUSES marry the academic programs in urban architecture, environmental science, health education, nursing, nutrition with our land grant Centers,” Zendehdel added. Zendehdel said integrating research, academic and community education and outreach is a standard among land grant institutions. Land grants were established by the Morrill Act and signed into law by President Lincoln in 1862. These institutions provide education both on campus and off, as they bring education to communities. Every state has a land grant college or university, and DC is no exception, even though most residents do not realize that UDC has this designation. Not only is UDC a landgrant college, it’s the nation’s only urban landgrant university. “Under the leadership of Dr. Sabine O’Hara, dean, CAUSES has become the innovative institution it is today,” Zendehdel said. “CAUSES integrate research, academics and experiential learning in the form of low-cost workshops and professional development offerings to the residents of DC. CAUSES has pioneered its model for urban agriculture, known as the Urban Food Hubs concept … the aim of the Urban Food Hubs is to increase urban food production, expand food-related business opportunities, improve nutritional health and reduce energy through local, sustainable techniques. UDC aims to have a food hub in each Ward of the District. We are proud of all of these initiatives, which help us to fulfill our mission.” n
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PEPCO & EXELON:
Powering a Brighter Future For our District of Columbia customers, the proposed merger between Pepco and Exelon will deliver: Improved electric reliability, with fewer power outages and faster restoration after storms Exelon and Pepco are committed to keeping the lights on. We’ve set higher targets for reducing the number and length of power outages. That commitment will only be made stronger if we unite our resources and expertise as one company.
Millions of dollars in savings We understand the need to keep energy bills affordable. By combining our companies, we will operate more efficiently and generate cost savings that we’ll pass on to customers. In fact, $51.2 million in projected merger savings over 10 years will flow back to Pepco customers in the District through electric rates lower than they would be without the merger.
For our families, our communities, our businesses and our economy, Pepco and Exelon are powering a brighter future.
LEA RN MORE ABOUT THE PROPOSED MERGER & GET INVOLVED
BY VISITING PHITOMORROW.COM PA I D F O R BY E X E LO N S H A R E H O L D E R S
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2015 Sustainability Supplement / April 2015 / www.washingtoninformer.com
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STOP
PICTURE THIS A DC CLIMATE PHOTO CONTEST
PHOTO CONTEST
Submit photos of climate change impacts and solutions to be eligible to win one of 4 prizes.
KICK-OFF WORKSHOP Sat, May 9, 2015 | 10:00AM–12:30PM THEARC, 1901 Mississippi Ave SE (Southern Ave Metro)
This FREE workshop will include:
• A photography class with a focus on camera phones • Community leaders discussing climate change in DC • Refreshments!
SustainableDC.org/ClimatePhotos ®
EARTH DAY NETWORK 2015
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