DC electricity bills are up 68% since 2017 — more than double Virginia and 50% more than Maryland. DC only controls 27% of your bill. The fastest path to lower costs is local solar — and we are building the coalition to make it happen.
Join a growing coalition working to make sure solar lowers costs and works for everyone in DC.
Energy costs, solar access, and policy structure are all connected. Here is what is at stake for DC residents right now.
DC electricity rates have risen 68% since 2017 — more than double Virginia (30%) and 50% more than Maryland (49%). The primary driver is not solar. It is PJM wholesale market prices and out-of-state generation that DC residents have no vote over.
The PSC Chairman has acknowledged DC directly regulates only 27% of the average bill. The other 73% is driven by forces outside DC — PJM capacity auctions, fuel price shocks, and transmission congestion. Local solar is the one lever DC actually owns.
More than 10,000 DC residents are already saving through community solar — and Solar for All participants save an average of $900 per year at no cost. The goal is 100,000 households. You do not need to own a roof to benefit.
Three things that will shape DC's energy future — and why they need public attention now.
Introduced by CM Charles Allen with 7 co-sponsors, the GRID Act would create enforceable interconnection timelines, cost transparency requirements, and an ombudsman office. Right now, Pepco averages 77 days to connect a solar project — peer utilities do it in under 30. In one quarter, 71% of community solar facilities missed their interconnection deadline. This bill fixes that. The Council needs to pass it.
The Public Service Commission only directly controls 27% of the average DC bill — but the commissioners who fill these seats will shape how fast local solar deploys, how transparency requirements are enforced, and whether DC accelerates or stalls on grid modernization. The next commissioners should be measured by how fast they reduce DC's dependence on volatile outside markets. These appointments matter.
In 2016, the Pepco-Exelon merger settlement set aside $21.55M for grid modernization pilots. The Governance Board was not formed until 2020. Today, only $2.5M of $21.55M has resulted in a project under construction. No pilot has delivered measurable savings to ratepayers. A decade in — planning is not progress. These funds need binding timelines and public reporting so residents can see results.
Four ways to make DC solar stronger — pick the one that fits your week.
If you qualify, save ~$500/year at no cost. No rooftop needed.
solarforall.doee.dc.gov →No roof required. Join nearly 12,000 DC subscribers already saving.
Learn how it works →Tell them: pass the GRID Act and speed up solar interconnection.
Find your Councilmember →Public comment moves the Commission. Sign up below to get hearing details.
dcpsc.org →Sign up for email updates — we will send hearing notices, action alerts, and coalition news.
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These are the opportunities to make your voice heard on DC solar and energy policy. Sign up above to get notified when details are confirmed.
The Public Service Commission hearing previously scheduled for May 12 was rescheduled due to the Mayor's Luncheon on Energy Affordability. A new date will be announced. Sign up below to receive notice, public comment instructions, and coalition talking points when the hearing is confirmed.
Our first open coalition meeting for DC residents, advocates, and businesses. Date and location to be announced. Sign up above to get details when confirmed.
Upcoming opportunities to submit public comments on energy and solar policy in DC. We will send easy-to-use instructions to everyone on our list.
Stories from DC residents, advocates, and business owners about what affordable solar means for them.
Resident testimonial coming soon. Join the coalition and share your story.
DC ResidentCommunity advocate testimonial coming soon. We will share stories from our coalition calls.
Coalition AdvocateSolar business owner testimonial coming soon. Know a DC solar business? Connect with us.
DC Solar BusinessThe DC Solar Savings Coalition was founded by a DC engineer who qualified for Solar for All, got solar installed at no cost — and then spent months waiting for Pepco to connect it. Through that process, he learned that thousands of DC neighbors do not even know solar is an option for them. Especially the people whose bills are climbing the fastest.
We are a growing group of DC residents, small businesses, community advocates, and solar supporters united by a straightforward conviction: local solar lowers costs, and it should work for everyone in DC — renters, owners, and businesses across all eight wards.
We engage with the Public Service Commission, the DC Council, and community organizations to make sure the decisions shaping DC's energy future reflect the people who actually live and work here. Affordability, access, and smart policy go hand in hand.
Local Solar. Local Savings. Local is BETTER.
Join the CoalitionPlain-English guides, fact sheets, and programs — everything you need to understand DC's energy situation and take action.
The coalition's one-page brief: the problem, what has been done, and where we go from here. Covers the 68% rate increase, the 27/73 split, Solar for All, the GRID Act, and the six actions DC needs to take now.
Download PDFMore than 10,000 DC households are already saving through Solar for All — an average of $900 per year at no cost. The goal is 100,000. You do not need to own a roof. Check if you or your building qualifies today.
Check EligibilityNo rooftop? No problem. Nearly 12,000 DC residents already subscribe to community solar projects across the District — and the credits show up directly on their bill. This is solar built for the way most DC residents actually live.
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