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August 2023

DC Circulator Electric Bus (Source: DC Circulator)

In the District, 21% of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions come from transportation, making it the second largest source after building energy use. Cars, trucks, and buses that run gasoline or diesel are also a main cause of air pollution, which has negative health impacts to residents. Check out the following transportation options instead to significantly cut down GHG emissions, improve air quality, promote health, and save money:

Walking & Biking (Including E-biking): Walking to work or to run errands—even if just part of the way—is one of the best ways to incorporate exercise into your daily routine. Just 30 minutes of walking each day can reduce your risk of diabetes and high blood pressure. Need to get there even quicker? Biking can be the fastest way to get around in the District, especially during rush hour! The District has over 160 miles of trails and bike lanes, and you can map out your route using the DC Bike Map. Capital Bikeshare, the third largest bikeshare in the U.S., offers easy access to bikes (including electric bikes) and has corporate and resident programs to help riders save. And keep an eye out for a potential electric bike rebate program currently pending in legislation.

Public Transit: The DC Metrorail and Metrobus system is one of the busiest and most extensive in the U.S. Metro offers reduced fares for people with disabilities and seniors, and the new Metro Lift program provides 50% discounted fares for customers enrolled in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Metro isn’t the only public transit game in town. The DC Circulator is another great way to get around the city for just $1. The DC Streetcar is free to ride and provides easy access to the H St. NE/Benning Road corridor.

The above are the most common ways to get around without a car, but there are even more with scooting, skateboarding, or even roller blading. For more information, resources, and to explore additional transportation affordability and mobility programs, visit goDCgo, a District Department of Transportation initiative that encourages the use of sustainable transportation!

Young Climate Leaders of Color 2024 Cohort – Apply Now!

People's Climate Innovation Center has launched the application for the 2024 Young Climate Leaders of Color (YCLC) cohort. YCLC aims to build a national network of young leaders of color who are learning, growing, and advancing climate justice work in their own communities. The program seeks to immerse youth in climate justice, transformative change, ecological principles, leadership development and more. Applicants must identify as Black, Indigenous, and/or Person of Color, be aged 18 – 28, and be able to commit to several in-person and virtual gatherings in 2024. Applications close on Friday September 22.

Climate Change and Our Urban Forest Storymap Published Here in the District, we are relying on our urban forest to help us adapt to a future climate projected to bring extreme heat, higher average temperatures, and changes in precipitation. But the trees themselves are vulnerable to those same changes. As stewards of the urban forest, the District Department of Transportation’s (DDOT) Urban Forestry Division has been working to better understand what is at risk, who is at risk, and how to adjust our management practices to maintain an urban forest that is healthy, safe, and growing, even within a changing climate. Learn more on the Urban Forestry Climate Adaptation storymap!

Community Forklift - Community Building Blocks Program DC nonprofits and community partners, do you need building materials or household items for projects that serve the greater community? Community Forklift, a nonprofit reuse center for home and building materials, provides mini-grants of store credits to nonprofit organizations, schools, churches, and more for community service projects through their Community Building Blocks program. To learn more and to apply for support, visit https://www.communityforklift.org/programs/cbb/.

2023 District Sustainability Award Winners Spotlight

The District Sustainability Awards highlight businesses, individuals, and organizations that are working towards a more sustainable DC. Awardees’ projects and programs support the Sustainable DC 2.0 Plan, which aims to make the District the greenest, healthiest, most livable city in the United States. This year, five winners were announced – we will spotlight a few of them every month in the newsletter:

Goodwill of Greater Washington: Goodwill enables economic sustainability by providing free job training and education opportunities to thousands of people in need. Additionally, hundreds of students have graduated from the Goodwill Excel Center adult charter high school, a tuition-free school that offers DC residents the opportunity to earn a high school diploma. The school offers free childcare services and transportation assistance. Goodwill also keeps millions of pounds of material out of area landfills through the collection and resale of donated goods at their retail locations and donation centers.

Sycamore & Oak: The Retail Village at Sycamore & Oak is a community-led development in Congress Heights incubating 13 East-of-the-River Black-owned businesses and supporting these businesses by offering local entrepreneurs technical assistance, national networking opportunities, and marketing resources. The Retail Village is housed in a mass timber structure; the mass timber method of construction greatly reduces the embodied carbon of the structure. The project contains no onsite combustion sources, will support a roughly 100kW onsite rooftop solar array, and has battery backup for resiliency.

Check out case studies and the YouTube short film featuring each of the five winners describing, in their own words, why they chose sustainable operations and practices!

Stephanie Stair – Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Fellow

My summer at the Department of Energy and Environment (DOEE) was one well spent. Through the Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Fellowship at the Urban Sustainability Directors Network, I was placed with the department’s Urban Sustainability Administration to work on the third iteration of the Sustainable DC plan. My responsibilities included gathering community feedback via our survey and engagement events in Wards 5, 6, 7, and 8, in addition to reviewing reports and plans to gain insight into District resident priorities.

Anyone who knows me can tell you I am eager to explore new things and expand my knowledge. This summer I joined in on as many meetings and events as I could, and I learned about various programs, initiatives, and partnerships at DOEE. I worked with the Office of Urban Agriculture on some of their projects, and even got the chance to tour the Town Hall Education Arts Recreation Campus and local urban farms. I was also thrilled to collaborate with the internal DOEE equity committee as they drafted a Racial Equity Action Plan to outline steps the agency will take to reduce racial inequities and be more inclusive. I’m grateful to have been included in discussions of the plan’s proposed targets and actions and consulted for feedback.

All in all, this was an amazing experience! As an undergrad student at Howard University, I’m thinking about the next part of my journey as I prepare to graduate in a few months. I will forever cherish this opportunity because it’s helped me to really see myself in environmental work and showed me the vast opportunities available to me in the field, even without a technical background in the natural sciences. Thank you to DOEE for hosting me this summer. It was a pleasure to work here. Thank you to everyone for welcoming me with open arms.

GRANTS & FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES

Request for Applications - DC Energy Storage Grant Program

DOEE seeks eligible entities to apply for the Energy Storage Grant Program to maximize the benefits of renewable energy in the District by deploying and integrating battery energy storage systems (BESS) in commercial buildings and multifamily residential buildings with five or more units. The amount available for the project is $3,560,494. The deadline for applications is August 28. For more information, visit: https://doee.dc.gov/node/1672701.

Request for Partners: Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund (GGRF)

DOEE seeks eligible entities to partner on its application to a competitive U.S. Environmental Protection Agency grant opportunity. The anticipated application will benefit the District’s goal of a clean and equitable energy transition by scaling up the deployment of solar energy through both community solar and rooftop solar for income-eligible residents. The total amount DOEE will be applying is approximately $270,000,000. The deadline for application submissions is August 29. For more information, visit: https://doee.dc.gov/node/1672716.

Request for Applications - Tree Canopy Restoration

DOEE seeks eligible entities to work towards the District's objective of increasing tree canopy coverage to 40% by 2032, by planting and maintaining 7,300 trees over two years. The grantee will plant trees that will survive and flourish, through excellent business practices, outreach, incentives, plans, and coordination of tree-planting activities for private and DC-owned public lands. The amount available for the project is $1,600,000. The deadline for applications is September 5. For more information, visit: https://doee.dc.gov/node/1674041.

Request for Applications - Community Based Flood Risk Outreach & Engagement

DOEE seeks one or more entities for flood risk and flood risk reduction activities in Wards 7 and 8 to do the following: (1) raise awareness, (2) promote action and (3) provide creative and culturally relevant engagement opportunities. The total amount available is $100,000. The deadline for application submissions is September 11. For more information, visit: https://doee.dc.gov/node/1675046.

JOBS

Program Analyst - Green Building

This position will work with District agencies and community partners to advance citywide green building policy and programs in support of the Sustainable DC 2.0, Clean Energy DC, and Climate Ready DC plans. Responsibilities will include analyzing and reporting progress towards green building policy goals, managing the District’s Green Building Fund grant program, and supporting ongoing engagement with and technical support for the building community, including for affordable housing providers and the District’s housing agencies. This position will support the District’s Green Building Advisory Council and DOEE’s participation in the code development process. Particular areas of focus for research, education, and engagement include solar energy, building electrification, net-zero energy buildings, and low-embodied carbon materials and design. For more information and to apply, visit careers.dc.gov and enter Job ID# 23029. Applications close August 30.

Program Analyst - Green Building Codes

This position will advance green building policy by supporting development of an all-electric net-zero energy code, to be adopted by 2026. Responsibilities will include coordination and facilitation of the Commercial Energy Technical Advisory Group, outreach and engagement with both public and private stakeholders, and research and analysis of code language and policies. This position will support DOEE’s participation in the construction code development process. Particular areas of focus for research, education, and engagement include building electrification and net-zero energy buildings. Strong facilitation, communication, project management, and analytical skills are required. Experience in or knowledge of building science, permitting, building energy performance, and net-zero energy building design and construction is preferred. For more information and to apply, visit careers.dc.gov and enter Job ID# 23142. Applications close August 31.

DC Environmental Justice Coalition Manager

The DC Environmental Justice (EJ) Coalition Manager will staff the coalition, providing support that enhances its membership and structure, and facilitates its collective work to advance environmental justice in DC. The EJ Coalition Manager will be the primary supervisor of contractors doing work for the coalition and will work closely with the coalition Steering Committee to guide the direction of the coalition in order to meet its goals. This position will implement the Capacity Building programs of the coalition made possible by the Mid-Atlantic Climate Hub and represent the DC EJ Coalition and Empower DC at relevant trainings, convenings, and conferences. Applications will be accepted until the role is filled. For more information and to apply, visit: https://www.empowerdc.org/ej_manager.

PUBLIC PARTICIPATION

Notice of Public Hearing & Comment - Draft Fiscal Year 2024 Clean Water Construction Project Priority Lists

DOEE invites the public to comment on the Draft Fiscal Year 2024 Project Priority Lists (PPLs) for DC’s Clean Water Construction Grants Program. The PPLs identify and rank projects that are eligible to receive federal funds to construct or improve green infrastructure, wastewater treatment facilities, emerging contaminant technologies, and other related infrastructure. The public hearing will take place virtually on Monday, August 28 from 6–7 p.m. All comments should be received no later than August 28 at 11:59 pm. For more information, visit: https://doee.dc.gov/node/1674356.

EVENTS

Back to Nature! Discover, Play, and Move at Kingman + Heritage Island Get ready for an afternoon of fun, learning, and rhythm as we gather at Kingman Island’s “Back To Nature” event on Saturday, September 16 from 2–5 p.m. Join DOEE and Living Classrooms at Kingman Island for kids’ crafts, yoga, nature activities, and musical entertainment. The event will include a drum circle, yoga, and hands-on activities that foster a love for nature and encourage eco-consciousness. To register, please visit the event’s Eventbrite page.

11th Annual Sustainability Fair at the Fairmont Washington, D.C., Georgetown Fairmont Washington, D.C., Georgetown will be hosting their 11th annual Sustainability Fair on Friday, September 22 from 11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. The event highlights the sustainability initiatives of over 20 DC-based organizations as well as the hotel’s own environmental program. The Sustainability Fair is free and open to the public. Guests will be treated to a taste of honey from the hotel’s rooftop hives, and each guest will be entered to win prizes. Many of the participating organizations bring complimentary samples for attendees such as baked goods and energy saving light bulbs. To register, please visit the event’s Eventbrite page.

eCYCLE Collection Events By recycling used electronics, individuals can help recover valuable resources and properly manage potentially hazardous materials. eCYCLE DC, through manufacturers’ collection and recycling plans, is bringing District residents more options for recycling their electronics. The following items are banned from the trash and are collected at the eCYCLE DC collection events: computers and monitors, tablets, e-readers, mice, keyboards, DVD or VCR players, printers, televisions, game consoles, and portable music players. For more information, check out this fact sheet. See below for upcoming eCYCLE DC events around the District.

• Saturday, Sept 9, 10:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m. Collection vehicle expected to be on Connecticut Ave NW between Northampton St NW & McKinley St NW (Ward 3, near Chevy Chase Community Center)
• Saturday Sept 16, 10:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m. Collection vehicle expected to be on Frederick Douglass Court SE, north of Bruce Pl SE, near 1922 Frederick Douglass Court SE (Ward 8, near Douglass Community Center)

Please visit the eCYCLE DC website to check for any updates closer to the event date.

Fix-It DC Fix-It DC events are community repair events dedicated to changing the “throw-it-away” mentality. Visitors bring their broken items to the Fix-It DC event where volunteer Fix-It coaches provide guidance in troubleshooting how to repair each item. The next event is: Wednesday, September 20, 5:30 –7:30 p.m. at Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library (901 G St NW) – Register Now DOEE is also looking for coaches to help other residents try to repair their small household items. If you are interested in coaching, please sign up here.

Shining ‘Daylight’ on the Chesapeake Bay’s Buried Streams: DOEE’s plan at Fort Dupont Park, an oasis of green just east of the Anacostia River, involves bringing a buried stream back to the surface to improve the natural filtration of pollutants, reduce flooding, and create badly needed habitat for aquatic creatures.

Edible Activist Podcast: #144: Cuzzin’ Talk: Food Justice, A Social Movement: Tune in to this chat with DC-based urban farmer, Xavier Brown of Soilful City! The episode deep dives into food justice, how other countries organize and build around food and farming, and black activists who played a pivotal role in feeding and protecting black communities.

REI’s New Effort to Close The ‘Nature Gap’ Launches in Anacostia Park: REI is supporting the nonprofit Friends of Anacostia Park with a $200,000-a-year grant for the next three years for environmental restoration programs.

Why Green Jobs Plans Matter and Where US Cities Stand in Implementing Them: This report explores how cities can support green workers, especially amid historic federal infrastructure investment – with a shout out to the District’s sustainability plan, Sustainable DC 2.0!