612.1 Greater energy efficiency results in a cleaner District, better air quality, and lower energy bills for District residents. More than $2.3 billion a year is spent on energy by District residents, employees, businesses, visitors, and government. Pursuant to the Clean Energy DC Act, the District will establish building energy performance standards (BEPS) to gradually improve the efficiency of the District’s existing building stock, reducing Washington, DC’s greatest source of GHG emissions. The energy used to power, heat, and cool buildings remains by far the largest contributor to the District’s GHG emissions, accounting for nearly 75 percent of total emissions in 2013. It may be possible to slow the growth of these costs in the future, even as Washington, DC grows with new people and jobs. Conserving energy is the cheapest and fastest way to cut GHG emissions and will be essential to achieving the District’s climate goals. Energy conservation and efficiency measures can help reduce dependency on outside energy sources, reduce energy costs for the District’s residents most in need, and improve environmental quality.

612.2 While energy conservation efforts in America started in part due to concerns about supply shortages, declining demand and increased supply have reduced these risks. Due to energy-efficiency efforts, District-wide energy use declined between 2006 and 2016, despite a rapidly growing population. Today, the prime energy challenges the District faces are energy costs and the environmental impacts of energy use—most critically, energy use that produces GHGs. The most common GHGs include carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide. The use of fossil fuels such as coal and natural gas to generate electricity, natural gas for heating and hot water, and gasoline and diesel in vehicles are the prime contributors in the District to increasing concentrations of GHG emissions in the atmosphere, which cause climate change. Rising global temperatures will severely harm societies and ecosystems around the world and in the District, specifically. Washington, DC has joined the global effort to reduce GHGs and is committed to reducing its GHG footprint by 50 percent by 2032 and achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. Living up to these commitments requires both reducing energy use and increasing the use of renewable, carbon-free energy sources.

612.2a Text Box: Net-Zero Energy Buildings Net-zero energy buildings combine energy efficiency and renewable energy generation to consume only as much energy as can be produced on- and offsite through renewable resources each year. Achieving net-zero energy is an ambitious yet increasingly achievable goal that is gaining momentum across geographic regions and markets. Clean Energy DC and Sustainable DC 2.0 include targets designed to ensure the highest standards of building performance and operation for all new construction, including moving toward a net-zero energy building code by 2026, while advancing health and overall livability.

612.2b Energy supply and demand should continue to be carefully managed, and efficiency should be improved in all sectors. The related text box (entitled Clean Energy DC Omnibus Act of 2018) provides an overview of Clean Energy DC, the District's official guide for meeting future energy needs. With the Clean Energy DC Omnibus Amendment Act of 2018, by 2032, 100 percent of the District's electric generation mix is to be renewable energy, with 10 percent of that energy derived from District-generated solar resources by 2041. Further, if Washington, DC is to eliminate all carbon emissions by 2050, new net-zero energy buildings will play a critical role. To facilitate the construction of systems that will support these goals, policies should be updated to reflect market conditions in the region and be designed to do more than simply facilitate growth of particular technologies. Amended distributed energy resource laws govern issues such as storage, efficiency, and demand management, and should create favorable conditions for the continued adoption of carbon-neutral and resilient energy generation solutions.

612.3 Policy E-3.2.1: Carbon Neutrality Support land use policies that move Washington, DC toward achieving District-wide carbon neutrality by 2050. This means that the District will eliminate GHG emissions, or offset any remaining emissions, by supporting initiatives that will reduce emissions, such as tree planting, renewable energy generation, and land conservation. In the short term, the District government will develop a detailed implementation plan with clear milestones in order to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050.

612.4 Policy E-3.2.2 Net-Zero Buildings Provide incentives for new buildings to meet net-zero energy design standards, as called for in Clean Energy DC and Sustainable DC 2.0. Establish a path to the phased adoption of net-zero codes between 2022 and 2026. The District's building energy codes should be updated again by 2026 to require that all new buildings achieve net-zero energy use or better. Prior to 2026, the District should provide incentives to projects that voluntarily seek to achieve net-zero energy use.

612.5 Policy E-3.2.3: Renewable Energy Promote the efficient use of energy, additional use of renewable energy, and a reduction of unnecessary energy expenses. The overarching objective should be to achieve reductions in per capita energy consumption.

612.6 Policy E-3.2.4: Energy Availability Improve energy availability and buffer District consumers from fluctuations in energy supply and prices. This should be achieved through the District's energy purchasing policies, financial assistance programs for lower-income customers, incentives for green power, and regulatory changes that ensure that local energy

markets are operating efficiently.

612.7 Policy E-3.2.5: Reducing Home Heating and Cooling Costs Encourage the use of energy-efficient systems and methods for home insulation, heating, and cooling, both to conserve natural resources and also to reduce energy costs for those residents who are least able to afford them.612.8 Policy E-3.2.6: Alternative Sustainable and Innovative Energy Sources Support the development and application of renewable energy technologies, such as active, passive, and photovoltaic solar energy; fuel cells; and other sustainable sources such as shared solar facilities in neighborhoods and low- or zero-carbon thermal sources, such as geothermal energy or wastewater heat exchange. Such technology should be used to reduce GHGs and imported energy, provide opportunities for economic and community development, and benefit environmental quality. A key goal is the continued availability and access to unobstructed, direct sunlight for distributed-energy generators and passive solar homes relying on the sun as a primary energy source.612.9 Policy E-3.2.7: Energy-Efficient Building and Site Planning Include provisions for energy efficiency and for the use of alternative energy sources in the District's planning, zoning, and building standards. Encourage new development to exceed minimum code requirements and contribute to energy efficiency and clean energy goals.612.10 Policy E-3.2.8: Locally Generated Electricity Support locally generated electricity from renewable sources, including both commercial and residential renewable energy projects. Policies could support the option to share a solar project among several neighbors (i.e. community solar), financial incentives, research and education, and maximizing existing programs to help install solar panels and solar thermal systems throughout the District.612.10a Text Box: DC Green Bank The DC Green Bank is an innovative policy tool that will use public purpose funding to attract and accelerate private investment. The DC Green Bank can be used by residents or businesses to finance sustainable projects and will offer loans, leases, credit enhancements, and other financing services to close funding gaps for clean energy projects and energy efficiency improvements.612.10a1 Text Box: Fossil Fuel Use in Washington, DC Along with increasing energy efficiency and conservation, reducing the carbon content in electricity and fuels is also critically important. Fossil fuels remain the dominant source of energy for electricity, for heating buildings through natural gas or fuel oils, and for motor vehicles. Over the long term, phasing fossil fuels out of the District's energy supply will be essential to achieving the District's

climate commitments. In fact, 96 percent of the emissions in the District are attributable to using energy, and nearly 75 percent of those emissions come from the energy used to heat, cool, and power buildings. Energy generation from fossil fuels also hurts regional air quality. One of the biggest challenges facing the District is how to reduce costs, reduce energy use overall, and shift the power supply to renewable sources like solar and wind—all while the District’s population and economy continue to grow. Figure 6.3 displays regional sources of GHG emissions.

612.10a2 Washington, DC’s goal is to reduce GHG emissions by 50 percent by 2032 through increasing clean energy and reducing dirty energy—meaning the District government will help businesses, residents, and municipal operations improve energy efficiency and increase their access to renewable energy. Clean energy is energy generated with no pollution or carbon emissions, in contrast to dirty fuels (such as coal and oil). Washington, DC already has some significant tools: The DC Sustainable Energy Utility (DCSEU) was created to help residents and businesses use less energy and save money, while Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) financing and the newly established Green Bank provide innovative financing for energy efficiency and clean energy upgrades.

612.10a3 Washington, DC is seeking to remove barriers to electricity infrastructure modernization, including neighborhood-scale energy systems, which allow neighborhoods to cut costs, help the environment, and recover quickly from power outages or prevent them completely. Neighborhood-scale energy systems benefit from the efficiencies of coordinating across several properties. Individual buildings see these benefits in the form of cost savings, system reliability, and other economic and environmental gains that come from centralizing energy production and managing a shared distribution network. The community can benefit from these systems because they help reduce GHG, can use renewable energy, and can align with other community and environmental efforts.

612.11 Figure 6.3 Metropolitan Washington Emissions Inventory, 2006-2016.

EMISSIONS BY SECTOR

(Source: DOEE, 2016)

612.12 Policy E-3.2.9: Energy Efficiency for Major Employers Continue efforts that enable major employers in Washington, DC— including the government, institutions, schools, and the private sector—to implement energy conservation measures.

612.13 Policy E-3.2.10: Consumer Education on Energy Promote resident awareness concerning energy issues through educational and demonstration initiatives and other programs.

612.14 Policy E-3.2.11: Conserving Energy Through Rate Structure Continue to propose rate changes that encourage the efficient use of energy resources. Economic incentives and disincentives should vary based on the different classes of rate payers and should contribute to the economic viability of energy sources.

612.15 Policy E-3.2.12: Resilient Energy Systems Increase the resilience of Washington, DC’s energy systems through partnerships that enable the District to respond to energy emergencies and interruptions in supply to achieve a secure and reliable energy infrastructure that is also resilient and able to respond to and restore services rapidly in the event of an outage. Participate in regional efforts to plan for such emergencies, including those organized by MWCOG.

612.16 Policy E-3.2.13: Coordinating Energy Policies to Reduce GHGs

New and existing energy policies should reduce GHG emissions and increase resiliency and innovation for the District.

612.17 Policy E-3.2.14: Clean Energy DC Plan Per the goals and actions outlined in the Clean Energy DC Plan, develop building codes and policies that require renewable energy, either for purchase or on-site installation, to make up a portion of every building's energy usage.612.18 Policy E-3.2.15: Neighborhood-Scale Energy Reduce regulatory, political, and physical barriers to modernizing electricity infrastructure to enable the deployment of neighborhood- or campus-scale energy systems and distributed energy resources.612.19 Action E-3.2.A: Energy Conservation Measures Pursuant to the District's Clean Energy DC Plan, implement energy conservation programs for the residential, commercial, and institutional sectors. These programs include financial incentives, technical assistance, building and site design standards, public outreach, and other measures to reduce energy consumption and improve efficiency.612.20 Action E-3.2.B: Assistance Programs for Lower-Income Households Implement Clean Energy DC Plan programs to reduce energy costs for lower-income households, including the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) and additional measures to reduce monthly energy.612.21 Action E-3.2.C: Consumer Education on Energy Increase education and public awareness around energy issues, including school curricula, awards programs, demonstration projects, websites, and multimedia production.612.22 Action E-3.2.D: Energy Regulatory Reforms Enact legislative and regulatory reforms, including but not limited to building and zoning codes as well as utility regulations aimed at improving energy efficiency and expanded clean, distributed energy generation in Washington, DC to reduce energy costs and improve reliability and resilience. Permitting agencies should have technological expertise in clean energy solutions. Permitting times and costs should conduce toward rapid adaptation of clean energy solutions.612.23 Action E-3.2.E: Energy Assurance Plan Regularly amend the District's Energy Assurance Plan and collaborate with regional partners such as MWCOG and the National Association of State Energy Officials (NASEO). Regularly scheduled training for energy emergencies should be provided to appropriate District personnel.

612.24 Action E-3.2.F: Energy Conservation Area Explore the establishment of neighborhood-based energy conservation areas or districts to incentivize energy efficiency, distributed generation, storage, and demand response. This is an opportunity for consumers to play a significant role in the operation of the electric grid by reducing or shifting their electricity usage during peak periods in response to time-based rates or other forms of financial incentives, which will contribute to and achieve the District-wide energy performance outcomes as defined by Clean Energy DC.

612.25 Action E-3.2.G: Energy Supply Explore and adopt policies that allow for every District resident to have a cost-competitive option for the purchase of a 100 percent clean and renewable energy supply.

612.26 Action E-3.2.H: Solar Easements Continue to review and modify, as needed, zoning regulations and other relevant District regulations regarding solar easements.

612.27 Action E-3.2.I: Building Energy Performance Standard Develop and implement a BEPS, as described in Clean Energy DC, which would establish regular energy check-ups of buildings and require the owners of poorly performing buildings to improve the energy efficiency of their buildings.

612.28 Action E-3.2.J: Neighborhood-Scale Energy By 2021, complete a neighborhood-scale clean energy system development plan to target high-load growth areas and at-risk communities and begin implementation. Encourage large projects or aggregated projects driven by energy consumers to contribute to the District's resilience goals through neighborhood-scale clean energy strategies.

SOURCE: District of Columbia Comprehensive Plan Act of 1984, effective April 10, 1984 (D.C. Law 5-76; 31 DCR 1049 (March 9, 1984)); as amended by District of Columbia Comprehensive Plan Act of 1984 Land Use Element Amendment Act of 1984, effective March 16, 1985 (D.C. Law 5-187; 32 DCR 873 (February 15, 1985)); as amended by District of Columbia Comprehensive Plan Amendments Act of 1989, effective May 23, 1990 (D.C. Law 8-129; 37 DCR 55 (January 5, 1990)); as amended by District of Columbia Comprehensive Plan Amendments Act of 1989 NCPC-Recommended Amendments, and Closing of Public Alleys in Square 669, S.O. 88-452, Act of 1990, effective May 23, 1990 (D.C. Law 8-132; 37 DCR 2213 (April 6, 1990)); as amended by District Government Land Use Temporary Amendment Act of 1994, effective October 1, 1994 (D.C. Law 10-190; 41 DCR 5360 (August 12, 1994)); as amended by Comprehensive Plan Amendments Act of 1994, effective October 6, 1994 (D.C. Law 10-193; 41 DCR 5536 (August 19, 1994)); as amended by District of Columbia Comprehensive Plan Act of 1984 Land Use Amendment Act of 1994, effective March 21, 1995 (D.C. Law 10-235; 42 DCR 30 (January 6, 1995)); as amended by Technical Amendments Act of 1996 effective April 18, 1996 (D.C. Law 11-110; 43 DCR 530 (February 9, 1996)); as amended by Second Technical Amendments Act of 1996 effective April 9, 1997 (D.C. Law 11-255; 44 DCR 1271 (March 7, 1997)); as amended by Comprehensive Plan Amendment Act of 1998, effective April 27, 1999 (D.C. Law 12-275; 46 DCR 1441 (February 19, 1999)); as amended by Technical Amendments Act of 1999, effective April 12, 2000 (D.C. Law 13-91; 47 DCR 520 (January 28, 2000)); as amended by Comprehensive Plan Amendment Act of 2006, effective March 8, 2007 (D.C. Law 16-300; 54 DCR 924 (February 2, 2007)); as amended

by Technical Amendments Act of 2008, effective March 25, 2009 (D.C. Law 17-353; 56 DCR 1117 (February 6, 2009)); as amended by Comprehensive Plan Amendment Act of 2010, effective April 8, 2011 (D.C. Law 18-361; 58 DCR 908 (February 4, 2011)); as amended by Comprehensive Plan Amendment Act of 2021, effective August 21, 2021 (D.C. Law 24-20; 68 DCR 006918 (July 16, 2021)).