º£½ÇÊÓƵ

Clean Energy DC 2.0 Plan

Washington DC, USA

º£½ÇÊÓƵ supported Washington D.C. to continue its environmental justice journey, with an impactful refresh of an existing clean energy plan, centring equity and environmental justice and advancing climate resilience and energy reliability.

Washington D.C. has long been a leader in sustainability and climate action. In 2018, the District published the Clean Energy DC Plan – the District’s comprehensive energy transition and climate action plan.

The plan set out how the District will use forward-looking energy policies, while also encouraging innovation, efficiency, and resiliency. Clean Energy DC re-imagined what a 21st century energy system could be, but was also pragmatic and focused on achieving tangible goals. The original plan identified what actions needed to be taken before 2032 to decarbonize buildings, energy infrastructure, and the transportation system and meet the district’s ambitious greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction targets.

In 2022, the Department of Energy & Environment (DOEE) launched the process of reviewing and updating the original plan. Clean Energy DC 2.0 (CEDC 2.0) will ensure the success and relevance of the ongoing efforts to maintain a cutting-edge climate and energy action plan for the District of Columbia.

Clean Energy DC 2.0 updates the District’s previous clean energy plan, with a focus on implementable updates and new policy recommendations for electrification.

The Plan develops a policy roadmap to achieve ambitious climate goals such as reducing emissions by 60% by 2030 and achieving carbon neutrality by 2045.

The team was able to estimate a range of co-pollutant reduction benefits tied to the plan’s objectives.

The project has been developed with an holistic understanding of the challenges of decarbonization, covering environmental justice, socio-economics and cost benefit analysis.

Challenge

The º£½ÇÊÓƵ team proposed the refresh of the first plan, centring equity and environmental justice and advancing climate resilience and energy reliability, to develop a carbon neutral, climate resilient DC.

The Clean Energy DC 2.0 Plan will outline a policy roadmap to achieve strict climate goals such as reducing emissions by 60% by 2030 and achieving carbon neutrality by 2045. Further, the project’s aim is to develop a roadmap that reflects community input, supports growth in the green economy, and improves public health.

To deliver these outcomes, our experts will conduct a thorough mapping exercise to building a greater understanding of the area’s socio-economic make-up, with an awareness that more disadvantaged communities are likely to feel the impact of climate change more keenly as a consequence of historical neighborhood disinvestment, for example with reduced access to building cooling systems and community support assets.

To inform the policy roadmap, it will also be important to conduct comprehensive public engagement exercises to ensure the community’s own considerations around climate change mitigation, adaptation and resilience were fully reflected in the refreshed plan.

Solution

Similar to the original plan, CEDC 2.0 embraces an equity-based approach towards comprehensive energy planning, which centers the needs and perspectives of the people most impacted by energy system transition and climate change. The plan considers environmental justice concerns, ensuring that clean energy investments benefit residents most in need.

Our team analyzed the environmental and climate conditions of the District’s Low-Income and Disadvantaged Communities (LIDACs) to identify priority communities for clean energy investment. We aligned our equity assessment methodology to the latest federal guidance and used a suite of equity data layers to build a detailed picture of the socio-economic landscape of the District’s communities.

Drawing from the District’s GHG emissions modeling, the team was able to estimate a range of co-pollutant reduction benefits tied to the plan’s objectives. Additionally, our economics experts conducted a benefit-cost analysis to identify the most prudent strategy for District-wide electrification. Direct stakeholder engagement was critical.

Our team engaged residents, businesses, and government officials to generate awareness and buy-in around the partnerships and actions required to achieve the city’s energy and carbon reduction goals. The plan builds upon related planning documents such as Carbon Free DC, MoveDC, and the Transportation Electrification Roadmap and chart the path forward for the District to achieve its climate goals and to define the most potentially impactful decarbonization levers.

Value

Across the United States, many leading cities are going to the next stage of planning for climate change mitigation and adaptation. In multiple regions, º£½ÇÊÓƵ’s advisory teams are providing critical analytics and technical support for the decision-making that needs to happen to build resilience into the nation’s urban landscapes.

Additionally, there is unprecedented funding available to support clean energy investments in disadvantaged communities. To remain eligible for this support, cities and agencies will need to incorporate equity into their analyses, frameworks, and investment strategies.

º£½ÇÊÓƵ’s subject matter experts are well-equipped to assist clients throughout their environmental justice journey, enabling them to leverage federal and state funding opportunities essential for enhancing community resilience.