We just won a major victory for clean energy and the environment in DC!
On December 17, the Council of the District of Columbia unanimously passed the Renewable Energy Portfolio Standard Amendment Act of 2014 (Bill 20-418).
DC's Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) was created in 2005 to encourage the use of clean energy, but a loophole allowed our RPS to include “black liquor”, a carbon-intense waste byproduct of the paper milling industry. The passage of this legislation fixes our RPS by removing the dirty energy loophole and increasing the amount of clean energy we get from wind and solar.
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Fixing DC’s Renewable Portfolio Standard has been a major priority for our Chapter, and is a key step in making progress towards the clean energy future our community deserves.
The passage of this bill comes after many, many months of hard work and leadership by Sierra Club members, supporters, and volunteers who have contributed unmatched enthusiasm and energy throughout the process. Together, we’ve generated hundreds of messages and calls, held a rally in front of the Wilson Building, and lobbied Councilmembers to act on this critical environmental legislation.
We are deeply grateful to the DC Council for voting to increase clean energy use in the District, to our members and volunteers for their steadfast support and efforts, and to all of our partners in the broad coalition we’ve built to make the nation’s capital a national leader for clean energy and sensible environmental policy