Embracing Renewable Energy in the Nation’s Capital

 

Washington, D.C. (July 2023)

The United States has been a significant contributor to pollution and greenhouse gas emissions through energy production that continues to rely on fossil fuels.  Starting in the 1970s, however, with the creation of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the United States has become more aware of the importance of reducing pollution associated with energy production. 

The nation’s capital is a good example of how a key metropolitan area could benefit from the widespread adoption of renewable energy.  Although Washington, D.C. covers a relatively small geographic area, its population is larger than the states of Vermont and Wyoming.  Being a densely populated area, the nation’s capital “consumes about 70 times more energy than it produces,” according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA). 

As a global capital, the District would be an excellent model for the adoption of a renewable energy strategy.  Developing affordable and abundant renewable energy is essential to improve both air quality and to help offset the increasing challenges of climate change.  Global climate change has been exacerbated by the relentless increase in greenhouse gas emissions since the Industrial Revolution. 

The nation’s capital ranks second only to Los Angeles among major US cities for overall number of Energy Star certified buildings that are energy efficient.  Last summer, DC Mayor Muriel Bowser signed the “Clean Energy DC Building Code Act.”  It requires that by 2026, “all new buildings in DC are net-zero energy and produce the energy they use on-site from renewable sources.”

Currently, solar energy and biomass account for 63% of the renewable energy that’s generated within the nation’s capital, according to the EIA.  No other forms of commercial, renewable energy are available within Washington, D.C.  Thus, 98% of the electricity used in the nation’s capital comes from power plants in surrounding states. 

By comparison, my Pepco power bill in Bethesda, Maryland, shows roughly 20% of electricity comes from the burning of coal; 40% comes from natural gas, 33% is generated by nuclear power; and the remaining 7% is from renewable energy sources. 

With the exception of the nuclear power plant in Lusby, Maryland, the majority of the electricity produced in the nation’s capital and the surrounding suburbs comes from nonrenewable energy sources.  According to the EIA, the burning of fossil fuels still accounts for over 60% of the electricity in the United States.  This underscores the need for the expansion of renewable energy sources.