A Greener DC
Climate change is the defining threat of our times. Like the COVID-19 pandemic, it will negatively impact all of us, but certain communities will be devastated disproportionately by climate-related disruptions and dislocations.
As the nation’s capital, we have a special responsibility when it comes to leading the way on climate change. Let’s make DC a model for how cities can reduce their climate impact and mitigate and adapt to changes in the climate.
As with Vision Zero, the District has committed itself to a number of extremely ambitious goals, including 100 percent of electricity coming from renewable sources by 2032. What isn’t clear, however, is whether there is any real interest in making good on these goals.
My Plan in Brief:
Create Incentives aimed at encouraging upgrades of older buildings to make them energy efficient.
Promote clean energy for new buildings.
Build on existing efforts to expand solar generation for homeowners.
Establish a rebuttable presumption that solar panels are not inconsistent with historic districts.
Set a goal of installing solar panels on all public buildings within the next five years.
Incentivize commercial property owners to install solar panels.
Expand microgrids. Microgrids make our electric system more resilient and can result in substantial energy savings over time.
Invest in regular collection for organic waste for both single-family and multi-family residents.
Recognize how land use and zoning rules can help or hurt our efforts to combat climate change.
Support efforts to phase out use of natural gas in new housing to eliminate health consequences resulting from fossil fuels.
Complete the job on effort to remove lead pipes.
Congestion pricing.
Fill in gaps in our public transit system, expanding bike lanes, and promoting walkability.
Expand EV charging stations without undermining other goals.
Increase transparency about carbon neutrality in DC.
Environmentally-friendly transit-oriented development at the RFK stadium site.
Protect the Anacostia Riverbanks.
Invest in dog parks, playgrounds, and other recreational spaces.
As your Councilmember, I will advocate for:
Incentives aimed at encouraging upgrades of older buildings to make them energy efficient. The Council should study whether targeted tax incentives could induce more building owners to invest in making their properties energy efficient. For older multifamily buildings, the District should also explore whether additional subsidies are needed to assist certain buildings with the transition without overburdening tenants or residents living on a fixed income.
Promote clean energy for new buildings. Though retrofitting existing buildings is an important goal, ensuring that as new buildings go up they follow environmental standards must be a priority. Supporting legislation that requires efficiency and clean heat pumps in newly constructed buildings is one step to ensuring our environment remains safe to live in.
Build on existing efforts to expand solar generation. The District has made impressive progress towards installing more solar panels in recent years. We can build on this progress by expanding current programs aimed at helping homeowners go solar.
Establishing a rebuttable presumption that solar panels are not inconsistent with historic districts. We can’t sacrifice our kids’ future in service of an aesthetic vision. That said, for historic preservation to mean anything, design changes, including installation of solar panels, should be reviewed by the Historic Preservation Review Board. But there is a middle ground between a Kafkaesque process and a blanket exemption—creating a rebuttable presumption that solar panels are not inconsistent with historic districts will help reduce the costs associated with the application process and ensure that historic preservation concerns remain considered. If the bottleneck continues, however, it may be necessary to reduce the HPRB’s authority in this domain.
Set a goal of installing solar panels on all public buildings within the next five years. The District must lead by example. The Council should ensure that there is sufficient funding to do so.
Incentivizing commercial property owners to install solar panels. The District’s commercial properties represent an incredible wealth of untapped rooftop for solar generation. The Council should explore all potential tools that could be used to increase solar generation, including tax incentives, subsidies, and phasing in a tax on commercial properties without solar panels.
Expanding microgrids. Microgrids make our electric system more resilient and can result in substantial energy savings over time. Once the microgrid intended to support the new St. Elizabeths Hospital is completed, the District should explore additional opportunities elsewhere in the District.
Investing in regular collection for organic waste for both single-family and multi-family residents. Working to create a city that commits to environmentally friendly practices is a significant portion of what is entailed in the coming years. By guaranteeing that little is truly wasted through the collection of organic waste is one step to ensuring DC is an efficient, carbon neutral city.
Recognizing how land use and zoning rules can help or hurt our efforts to combat climate change. Let’s take advantage of the urgency we all feel around the housing crisis to also address our impact on the climate. Encouraging dense, transit-oriented development near Metro stops and along major avenues will reduce driving and increase public transit use and walking. It’s a win-win.
Support efforts to phase out use of natural gas in new housing to eliminate health consequences resulting from fossil fuels. For low and moderate income DC residents, burning natural gas inside predisposes them to health conditions such as asthma without any opportunity to address the problem. Funding upgrades that eliminate these major health threats is one way to ensure that the future of DC is green while creating a healthier generation to follow us.
Completing the job on effort to remove lead pipes. DC has committed to replace remaining lead service lines, but we need to move faster and do a better job engaging residents about the need to get the lines replaced. Creating open channels of communication between departments and creating comprehensive, multifaceted solutions will be necessary.
Filling in gaps in our public transit system, expanding bike lanes, and promoting walkability. Cars aren’t going anywhere, but we can take steps to promote alternative, cleaner forms of transportation by improving and expanding access to public transit, installing bike lanes, and making the neighborhoods more walkable. People will not reduce the number of car trips they take unless and until the alternatives are viable and attractive. A bus that only comes once or twice an hour isn’t enough, nor is a bike lane on a busy road marked by paint or a road without any sidewalks. Making alternatives to driving more attractive will not only help DC reach its climate goals, it will also help us become healthier. Urbanites already move more on average than other Americans. Increasing transit and bike trips, improving trails, and promoting walkability as a core design value can have a meaningful impact on obesity rates.
Congestion pricing. We need to encourage drivers, especially Maryland and Virginia commuters, to take transit and drive less. Doing so will improve quality of life by reducing traffic and improving safety. Increased ridership will lead to greater investment in transit, which will make the system more useful and attractive. Critically, reducing driving on our roads is essential yo meeting our climate goals.
Expanding EV charging stations without undermining other goals. The future is electric and it is critical that the District lead the way in expanding access to EV charging stations so more Washingtonians feel able to make the transition. In addition to expanding stations in public and private parking facilities, an on-street network is essential given that many Washingtonians park exclusively on the street. While we do that, however, it is important to be thoughtful about where we place stations given DDOT’s other initiatives.
Increasing transparency about carbon neutrality in DC. In the Clean Energy DC Omnibus Act of 2018, DC committed to carbon neutrality by 2050. Understanding the steps that need to be taken to achieve this goal is a major step forward in fulfilling DC’s climate commitments.
Environmentally-friendly transit-oriented development at the RFK site. Wasting space in a city such as DC with large rings of parking space is in full opposition to the creation of housing and recreational space that must be pushed.
Protect the Anacostia Riverbanks. Improving river quality is an essential facet of life that is the responsibility of the city to ensure. Additionally, increasing stormwater and flood management must be achieved to decrease the future risk of flooding that could negatively impact the poorest residents of DC.
Invest in dog parks, playgrounds, and other recreational spaces. These spaces play an outsized role in making our neighborhoods great places to live. Investing in recreational facilities is important to quality of life and makes a city more attractive for prospective and current residents. It is also essential that adequate funds be appropriated to maintain these facilities, parkland, and other public space that belongs to all of us.