Last month, you might have read about the exciting partnership between Washington Gas and WUSA9 for Recycle Days in September. Area residents were encouraged to collect and drop off old paper and electronics at multiple collection locations all around the District.
Hopes were high, but the results still exceeded our expectations. More than 32,680 pounds of paper and huge amounts of electronics were collected for recycling. We appreciate the hard work of all of our dedicated volunteers and everyone who brought in recyclables. You are cleaning up the DMV!
To put all of this into perspective, WUSA9 estimates that the September recycling days saved at least 114,450 gallons of water, 66,000 kilowatts of electricity, 278 trees, 1,593 gallons of gasoline, 54 cubic yards of landfill space and 16 metric tons of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
Our thanks to WUSA9 for tallying these jaw-dropping results and for being such an outstanding partner. Events such as these serve as shining examples of how daily changes can lead to big reductions in waste and pollution. Stay tuned for details on the next recycling day early in 2023.
A Journey to Decarbonize the DMV
Washington Gas is proud to serve as a leader in new technologies that will revolutionize the future of energy. Our innovative, comprehensive Climate Business Plan supports the District’s commitment to reduce carbon emissions by 50% by 2032 and achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. This includes modernizing our infrastructure, increasing energy efficiency for residential and business customers and including fuels like renewable natural gas (RNG) and hydrogen in our energy mix.
The widely respected consulting firm ICF estimates that our Climate Business Plan may save an estimated $2.7 billion compared to decarbonization approaches that rely solely on electrification. This results in District ratepayers saving thousands of dollars per household.
We are vigorously pursuing plans to harness new and emerging fuels. The versatility of our existing infrastructure provides the potential for delivering fuels such as certified gas, RNG and green hydrogen. As an example, we have worked closely with WSSC Water in the past year to support renewable natural gas production at their Piscataway Bioenergy facility.
“Our supply decarbonization plan hinges on using certified natural gas, renewable natural gas and hydrogen,” said Mallik Angalakudati, senior vice president of strategy and innovation at Washington Gas. “At present, our supply is nearly 100% natural gas. We are committed to delivering at least 10% of fuel from lower-carbon sources by 2030.”
We’re also excited about hydrogen as a flexible fuel with many potential uses and support from last year’s federal infrastructure bill. When used in transportation and power production, hydrogen can help decarbonize the energy system.
Another key area of focus is helping those in the transportation industry reach their greenhouse gas reduction goals. Heavy-duty vehicles have the potential to become hydrogen fuel cell vehicles that complement the use of light-duty battery electric vehicles.
Washington Gas is also honored to be a Platinum Sponsor of Connected DMV’s National Capital Hydrogen Center. Along with other key stakeholders in the region, we’re working hard to promote a hydrogen economy in the DMV.
Bringing It Home for Energy Efficiency
One of our most urgent goals is to help homeowners and disadvantaged communities throughout the District reduce their natural gas consumption. Energy-conservation programs include rebates to lower the upfront cost of high-efficiency equipment, recommendations for small energy-saving actions, easy-to-install DIY measures, whole-home weatherization assistance and implementation of large-scale, customized commercial retrofit projects.
These programs offer proven methods to lower energy costs while increasing reliability and comfort. They can also help reduce greenhouse gas emissions by lowering energy consumption.
As an example, Washington Gas has reported abatement of more than 377,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent since 2015 through Maryland EmPOWER, the Maryland energy-efficiency program. As reported to the Maryland Public Service Commission, that is equivalent to taking 81,000 gasoline-powered vehicles off the road for one year.
Do You Need Help With Your Energy Bill?
Cold weather is on the way, but challenging times can strike any family at any time. If you or someone you know needs assistance, you have many options to receive help with your energy bill: installment and automated payment plans, budget planning and more. Visit washingtongascares.com to learn more.