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Ensuring Equal and Reliable Access to Sustainable Energy Solutions
OPC is driven by the belief that a sustainable and equitable energy future is not only possible but essential for the well-being of every D.C. resident, regardless of their income or social status.
With a vision of energy efficiency in mind, OPC embarked on a mission to expand access to renewable energy options across the city. Outreach staff took the agency’s message directly to the heart of
the community, engaging with local organizations and places of worship with the goal of informing consumers — especially those in underserved neighborhoods — on the advantages of adopting solar energy production and use.
One example of fruitful community impact is the pivotal role OPC’s outreach specialist has played in guiding churches toward greater energy efficiency, including Walker Memorial Baptist in Ward 1, St. Luke Baptist in Ward 4, Liberty Baptist in Ward 6, and Sargent Memorial Presbyterian Church in Ward 7.
As energy technology has expanded, so has opportunity. In 2016, OPC initiated the groundbreaking Value of Solar Study,39 fulfilling a directive from the D.C. Council to assess emerging energy alternatives for residential consumers. With the rising popularity of solar energy and the District’s focus on providing solar resources, OPC recognized the need for an assessment of D.C.’s solar potential and its costs and benefits. The study had two central components: first, an evaluation of the solar capacity and value for the entire District, and second, an examination of solar accessibility issues for those with low incomes. The findings were presented to the D.C. Council and the public in April 2017, with the goal of informing policies that enhance solar opportunities across all eight District wards.
OPC also secured a grant, in collaboration with the national nonprofit coalition Clean Energy States Alliance, that would support the development of tools designed to identify prime locations for solar production in D.C. Using the tools developed, OPC planned to keep ratepayers, policymakers, and stakeholders abreast of solar and other renewable energy technologies as they become integrated onto the grid.
Protecting Consumer Savings from
Pepco Community Solar
In 2015, the D.C. government initiated a groundbreaking project, Solar for All, the purpose of which was to bring solar energy to 100,000 low- to moderate-income families in the District and reduce the electricity bills by half for 15 years of residents earning less than 80% of the area median income. The solar panels were provided free of cost to consumers.
Approximately 5,000 community solar subscribers received power generated from the Solar for All program. Solar panels placed on community buildings generated for residents the benefits of solar power without requiring residents to own or pay for expensive solar panels. However, in 2022, a significant issue arose when complaints came in regarding how Pepco had been handling community solar generation in D.C. Pepco argued it had the right to install its own meters at community solar facilities to calculate the solar credits owed to the community, but OPC and D.C.’s Office of the Attorney General disagreed. They filed a joint complaint with the Commission, calling for Pepco to rectify its mishandling of the community’s solar metering.
The PSC disagreed with Pepco’s argument. It ruled that Pepco’s approach violated D.C. law and stated that Pepco must rely on the meters that the solar facility owners had installed. Pepco’s meters were found to significantly undercount the solar generation, which resulted in fewer solar energy credits owed to community solar subscribers.
42 OPC’s Journey to Protect Utility Consumers