DC Government Buildings Must Save Energy & Reduce Waste

Testimony
of
John More
Sierra Club DC Chapter
Before the Committee on Government Operations and Facilities
Oversight Hearing
On the Department of General Services
March 2, 2022

Councilmember White, thank you for the opportunity to testify at this performance oversight hearing on the Department of General Services. My name is John More, and I am representing the Sierra Club DC Chapter. I am a long-term resident of Ward 4 and active in environmental justice and climate crisis issues affecting the District. The Sierra Club is the nation’s oldest, largest, and most influential environmental advocacy group. We have chapters in all 50 states. The DC chapter has about 3,000 dues-paying members.

Net Zero Energy Buildings

The Sierra Club has testified repeatedly in this committee on the benefits of net zero energy buildings for the DC government. Net zero energy buildings are designed to use substantially less energy than required by current building codes, and, whenever possible, produce all the energy they need from on-site sources such as solar panels and ground-source geothermal. When more energy is needed, the building owner can sign a power purchase agreement for locally-sourced renewable energy.

Net zero energy buildings have minimal or no increased upfront costs and reduce utility bills substantially through lower energy use, saving our taxpayer dollars. The most-cost effective opportunity to upgrade buildings is during building construction or when buildings are substantially renovated, while retrofitting existing buildings is more costly. By building all new DC government buildings to net zero standards, DGS will save money, reduce greenhouse gas pollution, increase the comfort of building occupants, and avoid costly upgrades later. This approach will also assist DGS in complying with the Building Energy Performance Standards.

The District government is currently building–or may have completed by now–two net-zero energy schools and a recreation center, with little-to-no increased construction cost and lower energy bills once the buildings become operational. Arlington has constructed a net zero school,

saving more than $100,000 annually per school in energy costs.^[1] However, Director Anderson has stated that DGS will wait to see how these buildings perform before planning any more net zero buildings, even though these buildings use proven technologies. The New Buildings Institute’s 2020 list of net zero buildings identifies 136 net zero buildings and 547 emerging zero energy projects across North America, including a wide variety of buildings.^[2]

The results are in on net zero energy buildings. It’s time for DGS to save money, reduce greenhouse emissions and decrease air pollution by requiring that all new and substantially renovated DC government buildings are built to a net-zero energy standard. To that end, the Council will need to pass legislation to save money and reduce pollution by requiring net-zero DC government buildings.

Strategic Energy Management Plan

The Clean Energy DC Omnibus Act of 2018 requires DGS to develop a strategic energy management plan for reducing energy and water use across the DGS portfolio of buildings. The plan is required to include “timelines and cost estimates for implementing an energy retrofit program across at least 9% of the DGS portfolio of District government-owned buildings by square footage between 2021 and 2024, prioritizing buildings that have core systems and equipment nearing the end of their useful lives, with a goal of achieving at least 30% reductions in energy and greenhouse gas emissions.” The plan is also required to include “a net-zero energy retrofit program across at least 12.5% of the DGS portfolio of District government-owned buildings between 2026 and 2032.”^[3]

Why isn’t the energy management plan finished, three years after the CleanEnergy DC law was signed? At the request of DGS, the deadline for completing the strategic energy management plan was pushed back to January 1, 2022. DGS has now exceeded even its own delayed timeline.  When will the plan be completed? We are deeply concerned that DGS is going to miss the FY23 budget cycle for obtaining funding for this energy retrofit program as well for compliance with the Building Energy Performance Standards.

Building Energy Performance Standard

DC government buildings larger than 10,000 square feet are subject to the Building Energy Performance Standards (BEPS), established by the Council to increase the energy performance of DC’s large buildings, including DC government-owned buildings as well as privately-owned buildings. The Council, in writing this law, expected the District government to be a leader in meeting these new standards, which will greatly improve energy efficiency and reduce greenhouse gas emissions from DC government buildings.

As we said at the DGS budget hearing last summer, compliance with the standard is not required for several years–this compliance cycle ends in April 2027–but it is important for DGS to begin BEPS compliance right away. Unfortunately, the Mayor’s FY22 budget did not provide the needed funding to begin BEPS compliance in the current fiscal year. We urge DGS to work with the Mayor’s office to secure funding in FY23 for BEPS. We appreciate that this committee has proposed some funding for BEPS implementation in the future; however, we urge you to add funding for FY23 if the mayor does not. The District is fortunate to have a surplus, some of which must be devoted to urgent near-term needs, but some of the surplus should be invested in improving our government buildings to increase energy efficiency, improve the comfort of building occupants, reduce air pollution, and cut GHG emissions that drive climate change.

Although the Clean Energy DC law does not yet require it, as DGS implements BEPS through building renovations and equipment retrofits, the use of on-site fossil fuels must be eliminated to the greatest extent possible.

Zero Waste

Sustainability goes beyond energy to include zero waste measures. Reducing waste reduces greenhouse gas emissions, saves DC and its taxpayers money, and advances environmental justice. Waste reduction requires source separation – including separating food waste for composting and collecting recyclables for recycling. It also means preventing waste from happening by embracing reusable and refillable food and beverage service ware. As stated in the Sustainable DC plan, DC has a goal of 80 percent diversion of waste away from landfills and incineration and without the use of waste to energy by 2032. The Sierra Club has the following questions and requests by topic.

Source separation at facilities and agencies

The Committee on Transportation & the Environment Fiscal Year 2022 Committee Budget report noted that “[t]he Zero Waste Omnibus Amendment Act developed in line with Sustainable DC 2.0 waste goals includes provisions intended to strengthen source separation compliance at facilities and agencies, which will be implemented primarily by the Department of General Services.”^[4]

What steps is the Department of General Services (DGS) taking to strengthen source separation of waste in government facilities and agencies? Who has DGS designated as the person for compliance with source separation and waste diversion requirements in line with the Zero Waste Omnibus Amendment Act?^[5] What steps is the Department taking to compost food waste generated in DGS-managed buildings and collect recyclables?

Prevention through reusables and refillables

The Sierra Club just conducted a brand audit on January 22nd at Pope Branch Park, as part of a Martin Luther King cleanup effort organized by the Anacostia River Keepers. That same day, we audited the brands of over 1600 single-use plastic bottles found dumped in the park and the Pope Branch stream. Would it surprise you to learn that the third largest polluter we documented was Cloverland Dairy? We understand this is the milk provider to DC Public Schools. The vast majority of the remaining bottles we audited that day were single-use plastic water bottles.

These 1600 plus single-use plastic bottles are only the tip of DC’s dumped trash iceberg. The good news is such trash is entirely preventable by moving to reusable and refillable beverage containers, including milk dispensers in public schools and water bottle refill stations in all government buildings and facilities.

We urge DGS to take action to install such trash-preventing equipment whether through updated procurement requirements or by working with the Council on new legislation to support budget allocations. This well-spent money will save waste management costs for the District, reduce trash hauling to transfer stations located in neighborhoods of people of color, and prevent the pollution of our waterways and parks. We have provided guidance to the DC Council on reusable food service ware and would also be pleased to work with DGS on this issue.

Under the 2020 Zero Waste Omnibus Amendment Act of 2020, mini grants to incentivize food service entities – including those in District agencies – to adopt reusable food service ware and thereby prevent single-use plastic waste, will become available as of this Spring. What plans does DGS have to apply for these funds to procure reusable food service ware, dishwashing capacity or the services of third-party reusable container providers?

Construction waste diversion by recycling or salvage

By weight, construction waste contributes to the 40 to 50 percent of the total waste generated in DC that still goes to landfills or incinerators. The DC Green Construction Code addresses this by requiring no less than 50 percent of nonhazardous construction waste be “diverted from disposal, by recycling or salvage of construction materials and waste.”^[6] What steps has DGS taken to comply with Section 503 of the Green Construction Code in buildings that it manages undergoing renovations, additions, or demolition?

The DGS has a key role to play in the District’s addressing the issues of climate change through energetically supporting the transition to net zero energy buildings. It also can help reduce the effects of poor waste management on CO2 emissions and on the health of District residents, especially those in disadvantaged neighborhoods. The Sierra Club appreciates the work of Director Anderson and the DGS staff, and we offer these recommendations and questions in the spirit of supporting and strengthening the agency and its accomplishments. Thank you for the opportunity to testify at this oversight hearing.