Dear Chairman Mendelson and Councilmembers,
We write in strong opposition to the mayor’s proposal to delay two important policies that the Council passed into law so that DC residents can save money, improve the air we breathe, and reduce climate pollution.
In a press release on May 5, Mayor Bowser previewed provisions of her FY26 budget proposal that she dubbed her “economic growth agenda,” including the following: “Pause Building Energy Performance Standard and Net Zero.” This bullet point refers to the Building Energy Performance Standards (BEPS) and the Greener Government Buildings Act (GGBA).
Enacted in the Clean Energy DC Omnibus Amendment Act of 2018, BEPS requires large buildings, including DC government buildings, to improve their energy efficiency significantly. BEPS is a powerful tool to meet the District’s climate commitments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 60% by 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality by 2045. The emissions reduction potential of BEPS is tremendously important, since nearly three-quarters of the District’s climate-warming emissions come from the buildings sector. Additionally, deep energy savings driven by BEPS will reduce both outdoor and indoor pollution from fossil fuel combustion, fostering a safer, healthier community.
The District pioneered BEPS, paving the way for other jurisdictions around the country to follow our lead. Regrettably, BEPS implementation has been hampered by pushback from some building owners and sluggish compliance in DC municipal buildings. With the first BEPS compliance cycle underway, now is not the time to create confusion by delaying or repealing a program meant to make our city and our planet healthier. Rather, it is time to ensure building owners are equipped with resources and knowledge to comply, and the community and DC Council are united around our common climate commitments. The Sierra Club vehemently opposes delays to BEPS and asks the Council to remain steadfast in its support of the program.
The Greener Government Buildings Act (GGBA) requires newly-constructed DC government buildings to be net zero energy, meaning buildings that are highly energy efficient, powered by electricity from renewable sources like wind and solar power, and do not burn any fossil fuels like methane gas. The requirement also applies to substantially renovated government buildings and to new or renovated buildings with significant DC government funding, other than affordable housing.
The District government is not only helping the planet by transitioning the DC government to net zero buildings that eliminate fossil fuel combustion: these modern buildings also improve public health by reducing air pollution from fossil fuel combustion both indoors and outdoors. Net zero buildings contain no fossil fuel appliances, relying instead on clean, highly efficient electric technologies including air- and ground-source heat pumps. Net zero buildings also increase the comfort and productivity of their occupants–which will include more and more school children as DC schools are built or renovated–because they are insulated from extremes of temperature and incorporate more natural light.
The mayor’s budget proposal may claim savings from delaying the GGBA, but we are deeply skeptical of these claims. Net zero buildings can often be constructed for the same cost as conventional buildings, and there is no doubt they greatly reduce energy bills and save taxpayer dollars over time. The law provides a mechanism for exemptions when needed.
The District thinks of itself as a leader on clean energy, but comparisons with other jurisdictions show DC lags behind. In the State Energy Efficiency Scorecard from the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE), DC ranks 12th, well ahead of the roughly half of states that do not take climate science seriously, but behind leading states like California, Colorado, and Maryland. In ACEEE’s City Clean Energy Scorecard, DC fares slightly better, at #10, ahead of cities long in decline like Akron and cities in conservative states where the legislature limits the power of localities to enact clean energy policies, such as Chattanooga. But we’re behind progressive cities like San Francisco, Denver, and Minneapolis. If the Council enacts the mayor’s severe budget cuts, DC will fall further behind jurisdictions that prioritize reducing climate pollution and saving money through energy efficiency.
We urge the Council to protect the well-reasoned initiatives that you have developed and enacted, providing leadership in improving public health, creating good local jobs in emerging fields, and stepping up to meet the climate crisis. We ask councilmembers to work together across committee jurisdictions to restore funding for the Building Energy Performance Standards and Greener Government Buildings Act. Thank you for considering our views.
Sincerely,
Mike Litt, Chair
Sierra Club District of Columbia Chapter
Chris Weiss, Executive Director
DC Environmental Network