DC Sustainable Energy Utility

Client: District Department of the Environment (DDOE)

Challenge:

The City Council of the District of Columbia adopted the Clean and Affordable Energy Act of 2008 to “establish… a Sustainable Energy Utility to administer sustainable energy programs in the District.” Following a public bid process, in 2011, the DDOE contracted with VEIC to operate the District of Columbia Sustainable Energy Utility (DC SEU), partnering with the Sustainable Energy Partnership (SEP), a group of DC-based organizations. Key challenges to be addressed by the DC SEU include: lowering per capita energy use, increasing the generating capacity of renewable energy in the District, reducing the growth of peak demand, improving energy efficiency in low-income housing, reducing the growth for the largest energy users, and increasing the number of energy demand green collar jobs in the District.

Solution:

VEIC and the SEP provide solutions to the energy challenges facing the District. This combination of local partners with a wide breadth of DC-based experience and VEIC with its deep experience and leadership are successfully addressing the challenges that the City Council identified.

Results:

Through the contractual relationship with DDOE, the DC SEU is offering integrated, performance-based implementation services, based on VEIC’s industry-leading programs, adapted for success in the District. Initiatives are now developed and in the market to provide progress toward the District’s goals, including:

• Reducing electric and gas energy use by 1% per year;
• Investing 30% of program funding in improving the energy efficiency of low-income housing;
• Creating and documenting green jobs;
• Assuring that more than 50% of contracted funds are with local DC-based businesses;
• And more.