The GREEN DMV Report
April 2011
Help Keep DC the U.S. EPA’s #1 Green Power Community
Contributing Writer: Christophe Tulou

It may surprise many people to learn that the District of Columbia is America’s #1 Green Power Community.  Green Power—electricity generated from environmentally preferred renewable resources such as solar, wind, geothermal, low-impact biomass, and low-impact hydro resource—in an urban area like the District?   What gives?  And so, on March 18, 2011, when the Deputy Administrator of U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Bob Perciasepe, welcomed and recognized the District as the #1 Green Power Community in the nation with more than 750 million kilowatt hours of green power purchased last year, it was a recognition that the city gladly celebrated along with our being #1 in LEED registered and certified buildings, #1 in bikeshare system size, and #2 in Energy-Star rated buildings, urban parkland for high density cities,  and mass transit weekday ridership, to name a few.

To put this honor in a more compelling light, imagine taking 102,000 cars off the road for a year, removing 65,000 homes from the electricity grid for a year, or harnessing the power produced by 248 large wind turbines for a year… that is the equivalent of the District’s purchasing more than 750 million kilowatt hours of green power.  The honor is particularly noteworthy in at least two respects.  First, it is a public acknowledgement that the District of Columbia is a national leader in use of green power from wind, solar and other renewable sources; and second, it was made possible by the voluntary actions of hundreds of residents, businesses, institutions, and the District

Government—which currently purchases 50% of its electricity from renewable energy sources, notably wind power. At the recognition ceremony, Mayor Vincent Gray issued a District Green Power Challenge to every electric customer in the city: switch to green power and maintain the District’s ranking as the #1 Green Power Community.  The first milestone of the challenge is to increase green power purchases in the District by another 33% by August 31, 2011.  Should the District reach this goal—and there is no reason why we shouldn’t—our community-wide green power purchases will surpass 10% of total electricity used—that is more than 1 billion kilowatt hours of clean energy each year. 

So, what does this mean for the residents of the District? For each percent and kilowatt, we can all breathe a little easier and feel proud that we are contributing to the growth of clean energy. The District’s electricity usage, like most cities, is a significant source of local and regional air pollution. It is also the single-largest source of greenhouse gas emissions. Buying green power reduces reliance on coal and other fossil fuels that contribute to air pollution and climate change.  In short, green power purchasing helps to clean the environment, improve public health, and reduce our carbon footprint. It allows us to demonstrate civic leadership, increase community pride, and enhance the District’s position as a national green leader.

I urge you to accept Mayor Gray’s District’s Green Power Challenge today. The District of Columbia stands to win this challenge; but we need everyone—businesses and residents—to make the switch to green power before August 31, 2011. At that time, EPA will review data on green power purchases among all the EPA Green Power Communities and announce the community with the highest green power percentage of total electricity use. Putting aside for a moment the friendly competition among cities across America, purchasing green power is an opportunity to help the District reduce the environmental impacts commonly associated with conventional electricity use and secure the benefits of green power for our city.

Christophe A. G. Tulou serves as Acting Director of the District of Columbia Department of the Environment, an agency that manages air, water and land pollution; oversees the District's energy and climate change policy implementation; and protects its fish, wildlife and natural habitats.

Formerly, as principal of Christophe Tulou Associates, he advised clients on the implications and opportunities at the intersection of global change, business operations and public policy. He co-directed the H. John Heinz III Center for Science, Economics and the Environment/Ceres Resilient Coasts Initiative, a ground-breaking, two-year collaboration of private, public, scientific and nonprofit sector leaders to develop and implement a Resilient Coasts Blueprint for action to make coastal communities more resilient to existing hazards and avert the worst consequences of climate change.

Christophe served as Cabinet Secretary for Delaware's Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control and served over a decade in Congress in several capacities, including as Staff Director to a subcommittee of the U.S. House Committee on Banking, Finance and Urban Affairs. He has a BS in Biology from the College of William and Mary, and received two master's degrees - one in Zoology and the other in Marine Affairs - from the University of Rhode Island. He also earned a law degree from Georgetown University while working on Capitol Hill. He is a member of the Virginia and District of Columbia Bars.