Expanding Transparency & Community Control
Returning local control to residents.
Our communities are defined by hardworking people who look out for one another. That’s why we deserve a utility that is owned by DC and run by people who actually live here.
In 2018, Pepco was sold off to Exelon Corporation, headquartered 700 miles away in Chicago, despite heavy local pushback. Now, faraway executives make final decisions on our rates and infrastructure.
We are aiming to bring local control back to the residents of DC. Because the people making decisions about our grid should be the ones who are actually using it.
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Our path to public power in Washington, DC is through municipalization: the transfer of ownership from Pepco to our local government. This does away with the greed-based model and returns local control.
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A democracy relies on trust and transparency. That is why public power utilities hold meetings that are public record. Residents, lawmakers, and watchdog groups have far easier access to the utility’s decisions compared to for-profit utilities. This model increases both trust and accountability at the local level.
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Outside of necessary PSAs and emergency communications, a public power utility has no need to spend money on lobbying or advertising. Instead, ratepayer funds are spent on operational and managerial needs. Public power utilities further utilize funds set aside for communications for much-needed items like community outreach, safety reminders, and ensuring qualified residents take advantage of income-based programs.