District Of Columbia 2023-2024 Regular Session

District Of Columbia Council Bill B25-1033 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

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11	11	November 8, 2024
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13	13	Nyasha Smith, Secretary
14	14	Council of the District of Columbia
15	15	1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
16	16	Washington, D.C. 20004
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18	18	Today, along with Councilmembers Frumin, Lewis George, Nadeau, and Robert White, I am
19	19	introducing the “Solar Shade Expansion Amendment Act of 2024”.
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21	21	The summer of 2024 was one of the hottest seasons recorded since 1880, narrowly beating heat
22	22	records set just a year earlier in 2023.
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24	24	The scientific evidence has made it abundantly clear that
25	25	human activity is the most significant driver of the changes in climate we are experiencing locally
26	26	and around the world. Burning fossil fuels – such as coal, oil, and gas – emits greenhouse gasses
27	27	that amplify the Earth’s natural greenhouse effect, warming the planet at a dangerous rate. In
28	28	addition to their impact on climate, the burning of fossil fuels also has deleterious effects on
29	29	human health, as well as air and water quality.
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31	31	For its part, the District has planned to transition away from fossil fuels and towards clean,
32	32	renewable sources of energy. For example, the District's Renewable Portfolio Standard requires
33	33	that 100% of the electricity sold in the city be from renewable sources by 2032 – 5.5% of which
34	34	must be solar energy. But there is a pressing need to both accelerate our progress towards that
35	35	goal while also alleviating the impact of extreme weather – especially on our most vulnerable
36	36	populations, including children.
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38	38	Solar canopies are a promising tool that can both help mitigate the human impacts on climate
39	39	while also providing relief from rising temperatures. Solar canopies are structures that elevate
40	40	solar panels above the ground, generating solar energy while providing shade. Solar canopies
41	41	help maximize use of limited space in the District for solar panel installations. Solar canopies have
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44	44	National Aeronautics and Space Administration, NASA Finds Summer 2024 Hottest to Date (September 11, 2024),
45	45	https://www.nasa.gov/earth/nasa-finds-summer-2024-hottest-to-date/. already been mounted over parking decks
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47	47	and school playgrounds
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49	49	in the District. In other
50	50	countries, like South Korea, for example, solar canopies have also been installed to provide shade
51	51	over bike lanes.
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55	55	This legislation would require that the District government identify 20 sites, ranging from
56	56	playgrounds and parks to sidewalks, bike lanes, and roads, that could benefit from solar canopies.
57	57	The goals are to provide shade, reduce heat exposure, and provide clean energy to our power
58	58	grid all at once. The bill then requires funding in the District’s Capital Improvements Plan for five
59	59	capital projects to include solar shade as soon as the FY27 budget and all projects beginning in
60	60	FY28. It also permits the Department of Energy and Environment to issue grants to private
61	61	entities in pursuit of solar shade projects.
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63	63	Sincerely,
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67	67	Councilmember Charles Allen, Ward 6
68	68	Chairperson, Committee on Transportation & the Environment
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90	90	Innovation District, D.C. leaders unveil city’s largest solar canopy at Children’s National Research & Innovation
91	91	Campus (April 27, 2021), https://innovationdistrict.childrensnational.org/dc-leaders-unveil-citys-largest-solar-
92	92	canopy-at-research-innovation-campus/.
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94	94	https://www.ludlowtaylor.org/spaces/
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96	96	Hakyung Kate Lee, Solar panel bike lane generates eco-friendly energy in South Korea, ABC NEWS (September 25,
97	97	2022), https://abcnews.go.com/International/solar-panel-bike-lane-generates-eco-friendly-
98	98	energy/story?id=90197800.
99	99	_______________________________ _______________________________ 1
100	100	Councilmember Matthew Frumin Councilmember Charles Allen 2
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104	104	___________________________ ______________________________ 6
105	105	Councilmember Janeese Lewis George Councilmember Brianne K. Nadeau 7
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109	109	_____________________________ 11
110	110	Councilmember Robert C. White, Jr. 12
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113	113	A BILL 15
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118	118	IN THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 20
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120	120	_________________________ 22
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123	123	To amend the Clean and Affordable Energy Amendment Act of 2008 to require that the 25
124	124	Department of Energy and the Environment publish a feasibility study regarding the 26
125	125	installation of solar canopies in the District, to require that the District’s capital 27
126	126	improvement plan include funding for the installation of solar canopies, to authorize the 28
127	127	Department of the Energy and the Environment to issue grants to support the installation 29
128	128	of solar canopies, to require that the Department of Energy and the Environment update 30
129	129	the original study, and to require that new capital projects included in the capital 31
130	130	improvement plan for which the installation of solar canopies is possible shall provide for 32
131	131	the installation of solar canopies on some portion or portions of the capital project’s 33
132	132	footprint. 34
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134	134	BE IT ENACTED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, That this 36
135	135	act may be cited as the “Solar Shade Expansion Amendment Act of 2024”. 37
136	136	Sec. 2. The Clean and Affordable Energy Amendment Act of 2008, effective October 22, 38
137	137	2008, (D.C. Law 17-250; D.C. Official Code § 8–1773.01 et seq.), is amended by adding a new 39
138	138	section 218 to read as follows: 40 “Sec. 218. Solar canopy feasibility study; capital funding requirements and grantmaking 41
139	139	authority; updated study. 42
140	140	“(a)(1) By January 1, 2026, DOEE shall conduct and publish a study analyzing the 43
141	141	feasibility of installing solar canopies to expand solar energy generation while providing shade in 44
142	142	at least 20 locations in the District, including at least 5 of each of the following: 45
143	143	“(A) Buildings or land owned by the District, such as recreation centers, 46
144	144	parks, pools, playgrounds, parking lots, and parking decks, selected after consultation with the 47
145	145	Department of General Services and the Department of Parks and Recreation; 48
146	146	“(B) District roadways, sidewalks, bike lanes, and cycletracks, selected 49
147	147	after consultation with the District Department of Transportation; and 50
148	148	“(C) Private property, such as parking decks, surface parking lots, and 51
149	149	common areas in commercial buildings and residential buildings, selected after consultation with 52
150	150	the Department of Buildings. 53
151	151	“(2) The study shall: 54
152	152	“(A) Compare, between various locations in the District, the: 55
153	153	“(i) Potential to generate solar energy; 56
154	154	“(ii) Desirability or benefits of providing shade; 57
155	155	“(iii) Costs of installing solar canopies; and 58
156	156	“(iv) Difficulty of installing solar canopies, including any legal or 59
157	157	administrative barriers unrelated to cost; 60
158	158	“(B) Recommend settings, based on the factors described in subparagraph 61
159	159	(A) of this paragraph, where the installation of solar canopies should be prioritized; and 62 “(C) Identify at least 5 specific locations in the District where the 63
160	160	installation of at least 500 square feet of solar canopies can feasibly be installed during Fiscal Year 64
161	161	2027. 65
162	162	“(b) Beginning January 1, 2027: 66
163	163	“(1) The multiyear capital improvement plan proposed by the Mayor in the annual 67
164	164	budget pursuant to § 47–339.01(a) shall, for any project encompassing any of the locations 68
165	165	identified in subsection (a)(1) of this section, include funding sufficient to support the installation 69
166	166	of solar canopies; and 70
167	167	“(2) DOEE may issue grants to private entities to support the installation of solar 71
168	168	canopies on private property in settings recommended by the study as described in subsection 72
169	169	(a)(1)(C). 73
170	170	“(c)(1) No later than September 30, 2028, DOEE shall publish an updated study analyzing 74
171	171	the outcomes of any solar canopies installed at locations identified in the original study. 75
172	172	“(2) The updated study conducted pursuant to this subsection shall: 76
173	173	“(A) Update the comparison of factors described in subsection (a)(2)(A) of 77
174	174	this section; 78
175	175	“(B) Identify locations, based on the updated comparison described in 79
176	176	subparagraph (A), where the District should require the installation of other solar canopies in 80
177	177	public and private settings; 81
178	178	“(C) Recommend financial incentives, including grants and tax exemptions, 82
179	179	to facilitate the installation of solar canopies; and 83
180	180	“(D) Describe any regulatory, administrative, or legislative changes that 84
181	181	would expedite or facilitate the installation of solar canopies across the District. 85 “(d) Beginning January 1, 2030, every new capital project included in the capital 86
182	182	improvement plan for which the installation of solar canopies is possible shall provide for the 87
183	183	installation of solar canopies on some portion or portions of the capital project’s footprint.”. 88
184	184	Sec. 3. Fiscal impact statement. 89
185	185	The Council adopts the fiscal impact statement in the committee report as the fiscal impact 90
186	186	statement required by section 4a of the General Legislative Procedures Act of 1975, approved 91
187	187	October 16, 2006 (120 Stat. 2038; D.C. Official Code § 1-301.47a). 92
188	188	Sec. 4. Effective date. 93
189	189	This act shall take effect after approval by the Mayor (or in the event of veto by the 94
190	190	Mayor, action by the Council to override the veto), a 30-day period of congressional review as 95
191	191	provided in section 602(c)(1) of the District of Columbia Home Rule Act, approved December 24, 96
192	192	1973 (87 Stat. 813; D.C. Official Code § 1-206.02(c)(1)), and publication in the District of 97
193	193	Columbia Register. 98