Dc Council Unanimously Passes Clean Energy Bill

by Chris Weiss, Executive Director, DC Environmental Network

PAUL'S UPDATE: DC COUNCIL APPROVES BILL TO SUPPORT & GROW WIND & SOLAR ENERGY!

DC ENVIRONMENTAL NETWORK:

Just minutes ago I watched as the District of Columbia Council unanimously voted to approve BILL 20-418, THE "RENEWABLE ENERGY PORTFOLIO STANDARD AMENDMENT ACT OF 2014." This was the final vote of a 17-month campaign effort. Mayor Gray is expected to sign the bill in the near future.

The DC Environmental Network (DCEN) played an important, central role in making this happen.

Please take a moment to make a donation and keep us moving towards a clean energy future.

This bill makes the District of Columbia a national leader by updating the list of what constitutes a clean source of energy in the District's Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS). It does this by eliminating, in the coming years, the current practice of sending District dollars to incentivize the use of dirty and inefficient "black liquor" (a by-product of the paper-making process). It makes these same dollars available to incentivize newer, cleaner forms of energy like wind and solar.

Clean energy is what we desperately need to reduce carbon emissions and combat global warming.

That's an important change that we can all be proud of.

We enthusiastically thank the DC Council for voting to support a future with more solar and wind power. Their actions are helping build the infrastructure to create new industries that can employ District residents with good, meaningful jobs.

Since the bill was introduced by DC COUNCIL CHAIRMAN PHIL MENDELSON and COUNCILMEMBER MARY CHEH in July of 2013, the DC Environmental Network has been working hard to make sure the campaign stayed on track to get this bill passed before December 31st, the end of this Council period. After a lot of hard work, including the focus of the CHAIR, KENYAN MCDUFFIE, of the Committee on Government Operations, we achieved this goal!

We thank all of you who helped in this effort. We could not have succeeded without you. And, of course, we could not have accomplished our goals without resources.

Please consider making a donation today.

Sincerely,

PAUL WALKER, PHD

DC Environmental Network Coalition Partner

Director, Environmental Security & Sustainability

Global Green USA

Green Cross International