WGES helps customers meet the D.C. Green Power Community Challenge!

On March 18, 2011, the District of Columbia was recognized as the nation's leading EPA Green Power Community. District government, businesses, institutions and residents are collectively purchasing nearly 756 million kilowatt-hours (kWh) of green power annually — enough green power to meet 8% of the community's total electricity use.

As a first step in becoming a Green Power Community, the D.C. government began purchasing 50% WGES CleanSteps^® WindPower from WGES for its municipal operations in 2010. The DowntownDC Business Improvement District is one of a number of partners in the Green Power Community that recently partnered with WGES to purchase 100% WGES CleanSteps^® WindPower at its headquarters facility on New York Avenue in Northwest, D.C.

District leaders are encouraging residents, businesses and organizations citywide to make the switch to green power, challenging the city to increase green power purchases by 33% by August 31. Green Power Communities are cities, towns and villages where the local government, businesses and residents all commit to buy green power in amounts that meet or exceed EPA's Green Power Community purchase requirements.

The combined green power purchasing of residents and organizations in D.C. is equivalent to avoiding the carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions of 102,000 passenger vehicles per year, or the electricity needed to power 65,000 average American homes annually.