Council of the District of Columbia
Committee on Transportation and the Environment
B21-0650, the Renewable Portfolio Standard Expansion Act of 2016
B21-369, the Commission on Climate Change and Resiliency Establishment Act of 2016
Monday, May 23, 2016
Good morning. My name is Lara Levison, and I am testifying on behalf of the DC Chapter of the Sierra Club in support of two bills: the Renewable Portfolio Standard Expansion Act and the Commission on Climate Change and Resiliency Establishment Act.
The DC Chapter of the Sierra Club represents more than 3,600 District residents, including both dues-paying members and supporters, who are committed to clean and renewable energy and advancing healthy, sustainable communities.
Renewable Portfolio Standard Expansion Act
The Sierra Club supports the RPS Expansion Act because it would increase the use of clean, renewable energy to 50 percent in 2032 and expand access to solar power for low-income DC residents. We have several recommendations for making this bill even stronger. We believe that the challenges of pollution and climate change justify a higher renewable energy goal than proposed in this bill. And we ask the Council to consider improvements to the “Solar for All” program that would increase its benefit to the community by creating local jobs and increasing community-based workforce training and development.
The Sierra Club supports a national goal of 100 percent renewable energy by 2050. As a city, and as a nation, we must rapidly phase out the dirty fuels of the past to reduce air and water pollution, prevent dangerous climate change, and prevent disproportionate harm to marginalized communities.
This bill, by requiring 50 percent renewable energy by 2032, will align DC’s renewable energy goal with the target in the “Vision for a Sustainable DC” of 50 percent renewable energy by 2032. And it is a great step towards 100 percent renewable energy--a goal we believe DC is capable of achieving and should embrace.
The benefits of clean and renewable energy go farther than the public health and environmental benefits. Clean energy creates jobs—in fact, three times more jobs per dollar of investment compared to oil and gas.
Turning to the “Solar for All” program in the bill, the Sierra Club strongly supports expanding accessibility to solar power to low-income families and neighborhoods in our city. Solar power will cut energy costs for District residents who are struggling to pay their monthly bills.
We strongly recommend that the Council include provisions in the “Solar for All” program to create jobs in this expanding industry for DC residents across the city. One of the most important ways the program can benefit low-income communities--in addition to providing affordable energy--is by creating good-paying jobs.
Thanks to the District’s forward-looking incentives, we were #6 in the nation in solar jobs per capita in 2015. But when you look at the demographic breakdown by race, you find only 7.2 percent of those jobs going to African-Americans, and 5.7 percent going to Latino or Hispanic workers. A geographic breakdown finds that Wards 8, 7, 5, and 4 have the fewest solar jobs.
One way to expand the job-creation benefits of the Solar for All Program would be to require preferences for DC residents in the contracting process, along the lines of the DC SEU’s preferences for Certified Business Enterprises (CBE), Small Business Enterprises (SBE), and companies that employ certain percentages of DC residents. This approach should also include an annual monitoring program to track the outcomes of this approach and make the results available to the public.
Another way to expand the job-creation benefits of the program across the city would be through improved community engagement to accelerate understanding of the financial and environmental benefits of solar power for District residents. We propose that the bill require a report on how to provide residents with better access to education on solar energy and pathways to training for renewable energy jobs. We recommend that you bring government, business, and community representatives together to produce this report.
Commission on Climate Change and Resiliency Establishment Act
The Sierra Club supports the Commission on Climate Change and Resiliency Establishment Act. We have experienced several extreme weather events in recent years including heat waves, heavy rain, snow, and flooding that have threatened our infrastructure, economy, and the well-being of District residents. According to scientific research, extreme weather events such as these are becoming more intense and common, a cause of concern that requires urgent action. With the dynamic conditions of our changing climate, urban plans must incorporate the most recent information from stakeholders and experts in cross-cutting areas.
Establishing this climate change commission would serve as an important step in updating the District’s Sustainable DC Plan, which was developed in 2012. We stress the important role of intensive community involvement as a key component to the Commission's success. Meaningful input from the community will provide experts from local and federal agencies a basis for refining information and developing plans on ways to mitigate or minimize the expected impact of climate change on the District.
Thank you for for your leadership, and for this opportunity to testify.