FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today the D.C. City Council unanimously voted in favor of the Clean Energy DC Omnibus Amendment Act of 2018, securing a historic win for renewable energy and making the District a model for the rest of the country. The bill establishes a 100% renewable energy target by 2032 with a 10% solar energy carve-out by 2041. MDV-SEIA commends the D.C. Council, especially Councilmember Mary Cheh, Ward 3 for bringing forth the legislation, and Councilmember Kenyan McDuffie, Ward 5 for his leadership in passing the bill.
Councilmember Cheh, the lead author of the legislation, praises the Council’s action saying that the legislation “will put [D.C.] at the forefront and will be a model for other jurisdictions…This bill is a great achievement and I hope the people of the District of the Columbia can be proud of what we are doing here today”.
The solar carve-out is the leading component of the District’s energy policy that has secured over 1,500 local jobs and has retained the most capital within the economy out of all energy generation-related expenditures. “These types of direct benefits, which are all realized right here in our community, are a direct result of the visionary renewable energy policies our city leaders have implemented”, says D.C.-based New Columbia Solar CEO and Co-Founder Mike Healy.
The extension of the solar carve-out through 2041 will create thousands more local, high-paying jobs and sustain programs like Solar For All, which bring the benefits of solar energy to low-to-moderate income District residents. “Above all, SFA and the new RPS keep D.C.’s solar industry local, creating well-paid career pathways for its residents”, says Nicole Steele, Executive Director of GRID Alternatives Mid-Atlantic, a non-profit solar installer.
MDV-SEIA appreciates the D.C. Council’s support of local solar businesses and their commitment to creating jobs and economic opportunity here in the District. We look forward to being a part of the District’s transition to a clean energy economy and working with the Council to continue to expand solar energy deployment. As MDV-SEIA gears up for Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) expansions in Maryland and Delaware, we urge the states to follow in their neighbor’s footsteps.
###
About MDV-SEIA:
The Maryland D.C. Delaware Virginia Solar Energy Industries Association (MDV-SEIA) is the regional trade association representing companies and organizations in the solar industry, including 150+ members and 10,000 direct jobs across the region. As a local powerhouse of expertise, MDV-SEIA staff and membership shaped the policies that created and expanded the solar energy market in the DMV. For over three decades, MDV-SEIA has provided the leadership to deliver on policy formation, direct advocacy, regulatory intervention, market representation, networking, and education. Visit us online at mdvseia.org
Media Contact:
David Murray, Executive Director, director@mdvseia.org, (202) 780-9563
