Washington DC Headlines
Energy Bill Gets First Vote July 1
Bill 17-492, the “Clean and Affordable Energy Act of 2008,”got its first reading, as expected, at the Council’s July 1 meeting. A few “friendly” amendments were accepted by its primary mover, Ward 3’s Mary Cheh, but they did little to address AOBA’s continuing concerns about the legislation’s impact on ratepayers’ bills. The bill also deprives the DC Public Service Commission and Office of People’s Counsel of any substantive voice in energy efficiency programs, and expands the role of the DC Department of the Environment, including giving it control over vastly greater amounts of ratepayers’ money. The PSC, OPC and the Sierra Club all agree with AOBA that keeping a substantive role for the PSC is in the best interest of ratepayers.
