Power Play: How Kenyon McDuffie Built a Career Serving DC's Utilities — Not Its Residents
By Trum deVries
In a crowded field of mayoral candidates, two clear frontrunners have appeared: Janeese Lewis George and Kenyon McDuffie. Both have ample experience on the DC Council (Janeese for Ward 4, McDuffie for Ward 5 and At-Large), so their name recognition, campaign infrastructure, and overall political connections reflect this. Poll after poll have the two competing for first place with a wide drop-off for candidates trailing in third.
Janeese Lewis George (JLG) has remained ahead in voter ID and sentiment the entire campaign season, making her a clear target for criticism and attack ads from her opponents. And that’s exactly what McDuffie attempted to do in March at the Free DC forum using a new flashpoint issue in the race: the rising cost of utilities.
During his closing remarks, McDuffie took aim at JLG’s rhetoric and social media skills, contrasting them with his years of experience on the DC Council. His speech crescendoed as he railed against JLG’s alleged complacency in fighting rising utility costs and the PSC. Claiming she has “not introduced a single piece of standalone legislation” to deal with rising utility costs, and voted in support of the PSC at every opportunity. As JLG rose to counter these claims and level her own attacks, McDuffie prematurely exited the stage to celebrate with his supporters.
The moment succeeded in drawing social media attention, circulating on TikTok and Instagram. Yet, to those who have paid attention to McDuffie’s record, the stunt was a particularly egregious piece of political theater. In reality, McDuffie’s time on the DC Council has been rife with cozy corporate relationships, closed-door meetings with utilities, and oversight so lax that Pepco and Washington gas were able to run roughshod over standard regulations that should have protected DC residents. As a result, DC utility rates skyrocketed, rising more than 50% higher than rates faced by Maryland residents, and more than doubling those in Virginia and Pennsylvania.
Kenyan McDuffie began his political career in 2012, winning a special election for Ward 5 DC Councilmember. He served in the position until 2022, when he ran for and won one of DC’s three At-Large Councilmember positions. In 2017, McDuffie was appointed Chair of the Committee on Business and Economic Development, the body responsible for overseeing the Public Service Commission (PSC) and utility legislation. McDuffie held the position until he announced his candidacy for mayor in January 2026.
McDuffie’s political career began with some optimism from those in the climate and clean energy sectors. In 2015, the Chesapeake Climate Action Network (CCAN) presented him with an award for his efforts to promote clean energy and solar power in the district. However, a look into McDuffie’s staffing and campaign contributions could have foreshadowed his later political turn. Surrounding himself with Pepco employees, utility lobbyists, and corporate sympathizers, McDuffie’s legislative priorities always favored the interests of corporations over those of DC residents.
McDuffie accepted money from Pepco as soon as he entered the political scene. During his first campaign in 2012, McDuffie began taking campaign contributions from Pepco-backed lobbying firms, including Global Government & Industry Partners (2GIP) and Group 360. Along with financial support, McDuffie staffed his campaign with individuals close to Pepco and Washington Gas. First, he named Corey Arnez Griffin, 2GIP’s CEO, his chief of staff. Griffin would remain close to McDuffie following his stint as Chief of Staff, organizing regular meetings between McDuffie and Pepco through 2GIP.
He then named Ronan Gulstone his Committee Director, the first of many roles Gulstone would take within McDuffie’s staff until departing in 2017*. Gulstone currently works as a Partner at Holland & Knight LLP, a private equity and lobbying firm with close ties to Pepco.
During McDuffie’s 2014 campaign, contributions from Pepco-backed firms and executives increased to $4,000. McDuffie also continued filling his staff with current and future Pepco allies and executives. In 2013, he hired Eric Grant as his campaign treasurer. Shortly after joining McDuffie’s staff, Grant accepted a job at Exelon (Pepco’s current parent company), eventually becoming Exelon’s Senior Marketing Manager. Ronan Gulstone continued his advancement within McDuffie’s office, becoming Deputy Chief of Staff in April 2014.
This trend continued throughout his 2018 and 2022 campaigns, with more Pepco and Washington Gas-connected individuals joining his staff. Ronan Gulstone advanced from Deputy Chief of Staff (2014-2015) to Chief of Staff (2015) before departing the role in 2017 to work for Washington Gas. In 2022, McDuffie hired Laisha Dougherty, who served as Pepco’s Community Relations Coordinator (2018-2021) and Senior External Affairs Specialist (2021-2022), as his Chief of Staff.
McDuffie’s connection to Pepco became clear following his appointment as Chair of the Committee on Business and Economic Development in 2017. Through his staffing connections, McDuffie began regularly meeting with utility executives and lobbyists. From 2018-2026, he met with utility lobbyists 27 times, five times more than any other DC Councilmember. During PSC oversight hearings, witnesses frequently remarked on McDuffie’s softball questions and seemingly active defense of Pepco’s interests.
Utility rates skyrocketed during his tenure. From 2017-2025, electricity rates for DC residents rose more than 70%, from an average of $12.1 per kWh to $20.52 per kWh. In 2024, McDuffie and the PSC would approve an additional multi-year rate hike, raising rates by 12% over 2025 and 2026.
These increases hit DC residents hard. By 2025, the PSC estimated that an average of 24% of DC residents lived in utility debt, with 26,375 receiving disconnection notices in April 2025 alone. In 2026, the proliferation of Data Centers and a cold-weather spike exacerbated this further, with many DC residents receiving bills of $600-$1,000.
What shocked many during this period was McDuffie’s total disregard for warnings from advocacy groups and those within the PSC. During the process of deliberation for the 2024 multi-year rate hike plan, the DC Office of People’s Council (OPC) and Apartment and Office Building Association of Metropolitan Washington (AOBA) questioned the validity of Pepco’s rate calculations and criticized the PSC for rushing it through the approval process.
PSC Commissioner Richard Beverly would echo many of their complaints, stating in his dissent that he saw the process as “a regulatory trainwreck that unreasonably promotes Pepco’s interest at the expense of ratepayers.” He went on to state that the “majority [of commissioners] recognizes the deficiencies in Pepco’s rate application ... but [have] chosen to approve the application anyway.”
Their concerns were vindicated in March 2026, when the DC Court of Appeals struck down the multiyear rate hike, finding that the PSC had not conducted sufficient research on the calculations Pepco used to justify the rate increase. The court agreed with the OPC and AOBA’s concern that Pepco’s calculations could overcharge DC residents by millions of dollars.
In response to the ruling, JLG introduced emergency legislation to stop electricity cut-offs to DC homes. The bill passed, despite an effort by Mayor Bowser to veto it.
On top of rate hike increases, some advocacy groups felt McDuffie leveraged his authority on the Committee on Business and Economic Development to allow Pepco to interfere with solar interconnection. During his tenure, Pepco charged exorbitant interconnection fees and slow-walked residents, disrupting rooftop solar installation efforts. The OPC found that from 2019 - 2024, DC residents faced interconnection fees ranging from $2,000 to $104,000. Throughout this same period, the OPC noted that many residents complained of constant Pepco interconnection delays, further undermining rooftop solar installation. The result was a decrease in solar installations, as roadblocks hampered interested residents and developers.
While the increase in rate hikes and interruptions to solar installation were major concerns for advocacy groups, what solidified McDuffie’s reputation as Pepco’s guy on the DC Council was his last-minute gutting of the 2018 CleanEnergy DC Omnibus Act.
Proposed as one of the nation’s most ambitious plans to combat climate change, the bill would transition DC to 100% renewable energy by 2032, significantly cutting carbon emissions. With support from advocacy groups and the DC Department of Energy and Environment (DOEE), the bill was poised for success. However, at the 11th hour, McDuffie’s committee both removed and added new provisions, drastically gutting its effectiveness while forcing in clear-cutouts for Pepco.
First, McDuffie removed a provision requiring Pepco to buy renewable energy through long-term contracts with renewable energy companies, also known as power purchase agreements (PPA). These contracts were designed to make it easier for these companies to build wind and solar plants by providing long-term revenue streams, thereby increasing the scope and size of the projects. The DOEE estimated that these contracts would have resulted in an annual greenhouse gas reduction of 710,000 tons, or 8.1% of total emissions.
When asked about the rationale for the cut, McDuffie echoed the justification given by Exelon executives, stating that PPAs would raise ratepayers' costs. However, in states where similar contracts had been used for renewable energy projects, the exact opposite is true. Costs decreased over time as utilities transitioned away from volatile energy markets toward more stable renewable resources.
In addition to scrapping PPAs, McDuffie inserted language allowing Pepco to administer energy-efficiency programs in DC. This legislation was particularly shocking to outside advocacy groups, as DC already had a publicly funded energy efficiency provider. The DC Sustainable Energy Utility (DCSEU), established in 2011, provided residents and businesses with programming to reduce energy waste and save consumers money. Since its inception, the DCSEU has proven to be an effective and popular institution.
Pepco and its allies claimed that allowing it to establish its own energy-efficiency programming would incentivize the company to adopt cleaner energy practices. They also argued it would allow them to recoup some of the financial losses that energy efficiency programming would create. However, critics were quick to point out that Pepco’s plan would effectively cause DC residents to pay higher rates for programs intended to save them money. Or, as Mark Rodeffer, the DC Sierra Club’s current Political Committee Chair and then Chapter Chair, put it: “Ratepayers would have higher bills in exchange for nothing.”
Others pointed out that the PSC already had a mechanism for Pepco to recoup losses to energy efficiency programming. Established in 2009, the Bill Stabilization Adjustment (BSA) allows Pepco to apply for an authorized return from the PSC, which is then compared to its actual collected return. The difference between the two rates is then charged to residents. When passed, Pepco argued that it would remove its incentive to disrupt energy efficiency programming by allowing it to recoup “lost” revenue.
The DCSEU and its allies were quick to point out that Pepco’s proposed energy efficiency programs would charge residents far more for far less. The OPC noted that, compared with similar programs, Pepco’s proposed program offered the lowest savings and the highest costs per kWh, at a rate almost 135% higher than other regional utilities. In the end, after a vicious fight, the DCSEU retained some of its programming, though much of it was lost.
In an interview for this article, Edward Yim, the Director of Policy and Compliance for the DOEE from 2014 - 2021 and one of the 2018 CleanEnergy DC Omnibus’s architects, summarized the justification behind the 11th-hour changes as thus: “Essentially, the idea [behind the changes] was, ‘well, what does PEPCO get out of this?’ Because, apparently, they don’t have enough.”
Edward stated that, following the passage of the bill, many councilmembers felt they had done enough. “The message that I was getting was that after the bill passed, there wasn't going to be a lot of interest or a sense of need to pass additional legislation.” In addition, McDuffie had solidified his reputation as Pepco’s guy in the DC Council. “The understanding that I had … was that Councilmember McDuffie was a big supporter of the utilities, both Washington Gas and Pepco. And that any action that we took that would be viewed unfavorably by either Washington Gas or Pepco, if it ever made it into a form of legislation, … would never be able to pass his committee. So, we spent a lot of time trying to craft legislation that would be assigned to Councilmember Cheh’s Committee instead.”
The rest of McDuffie’s tenure as Chair of the Committee on Business and Economic Development was highlighted by rising utility rates and the near-total subservience of the PSC to Pepco’s interests. This record has come back to haunt him during this mayoral election. Mayoral debates continue to return to the issue, resulting in escalating attack ads and displays of political theater like those performed at the Free DC Forum. Yet, for those familiar with McDuffie’s career in DC politics, the memory is hard to forget. The feeling was best summarized by Mark Rodeffer when discussing the DC Sierra Club’s decision to endorse JLG. “We know Janeese Lewis George’s record on the DC Council, and we know Kenyan McDuffie’s record. We are confident Councilmember Lewis George is the right candidate for voters who want to see bold progress on climate and environmental priorities.”
*In 2017, Gulstone leveraged his connection with McDuffie by landing a top policy position with Washington Gas, moving from public service into the private gas company he helped oversee just months prior. After this, he leapfrogged around corporate-friendly political scenes, becoming Mayor Bowser’s Directory of Policy and then Chief of Staff for FERC Commissioner Willie Phillips, the former DC PSC Chairman that led the fight to approve the $7 billion Pepco-Exelon merger in 2016.