Washington D.C passes bill to run on 100% renewable energy by 2032

Washington D.C has unanimously passed a bill to ensure the state runs on 100 per cent renewable energy by 2032.

This legislation will mean that all municipal operations, residences and businesses within D.C will be powered by 100 per cent renewable energy, including the White House.

The President of United States has regularly used his platform to discuss his views on climate change, but this bill was passed unanimously and will mean that the White House will be powered by renewable energy.

Camila Thorndike, Campaign Director for the Chesapeake Climate Action Network Action Fund, said in a statement: “All told, the Clean Energy DC Act will reduce climate pollution in the District by a whopping 42%, and puts the District on track to meet our commitments under the Paris Climate Accord. And here’s the best part: the White House and Congress will be lit with renewable energy, whether they want it or not.”

The legislation will increase fees on electricity from coal and gas and will ensure that there is a task force to set some of the nation’s most aggressive energy-efficiency standards for existing buildings, the Huffington Post reports.

The original bill stated that Washington D.C should run on 50 per cent renewable energy by 2032, this new legislation puts the state at the forefront of the transition to clean energy.

Mary Cheh, the Democratic councilwoman who authored the original bill, said in a statement: “Even though by ourselves we are a small jurisdiction, we can serve and have served as a model for other jurisdictions. More importantly, we are in a loose association with other local and state jurisdictions so that even though the federal government is in default of international climate accords, we will meet them.”

This news follows California announcing their goal to run on 100 per cent renewable energy by 2045.