Today, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser signed the “Clean Energy D.C. Omnibus Act of 2018,” a bold climate bill unanimously passed by the D.C. Council on December 18.
With the mayor’s signing of the Clean Energy D.C. Omnibus Act of 2018, Washington, D.C., has officially committed to transition to 100% renewable electricity by 2032.
Her support ensures that the District will lead the country on climate action by requiring a 100% renewable electricity supply in D.C. by 2032. The bill also establishes ambitious clean energy programs for efficiency, building codes, electrification, and to support low-income residents.
Additionally, the new bill encourages drivers to purchase electric vehicles, expands electric vehicle charging stations, and requires buses and other large fleets to transition away from fossil fuels and toward renewable electric power.
Mayor Bowser had previously pledged to make D.C. carbon neutral by 2050.
Washington D.C. joins the states of California and Hawaii, as well as 104 cities across the United States, to establish a 100% renewable energy goal.
In response, Mark Rodeffer, Chair of the Sierra Club D.C. Chapter, released the following statement: “D.C.’s energy and climate action plan calls for 50% greenhouse gas reductions by 2032. The law signed by Mayor Bowser today puts us on a path to meet that goal or even surpass it. We applaud Mayor Bowser’s climate leadership, which includes not only signing this law but also pledging that D.C. will be carbon neutral by 2050.
“Council member Mary Cheh and the rest of the D.C. Council were instrumental in setting the nation’s capital on a path away from fossil fuels. We look forward to working with the Bowser administration to implement this strong law. As the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and the federal government’s Fourth National Climate Assessment demonstrate, bold action to reduce carbon pollution can’t wait. We couldn’t be prouder that D.C. is a national leader in taking on the threat from climate change in a way that benefits all our residents, and we hope that the rest of the country follows our example.”
Filed Under: News, Policy
