DC’s electricity system should work for the public, not for profit.

We Power DC is fighting for a power system that works for and is owned by the residents of the District of Columbia –one that works transparently and democratically to fight the climate crisis and meet everyone’s needs regardless of their ability to pay.

We Power DC is a coalition of community members and organizations fighting for public power in the District. We need public power to ensure we have a clean, affordable, and equitable energy system for every DC resident.

Pepco is failing to meet our needs.

Pepco’s high energy rates and unforgiving payment policies leave many residents in a cycle of late payments and under constant threat of shutoffs. Nearly a quarter of DC residents owe money to Pepco, and over 80% of low-income residents are consistently in utility debt. Even as residents face looming shutoffs and struggle to pay their bills, Pepco actively lobbies to raise rates.

In the midst of some of the country’s most ambitious climate goals, Pepco has dragged its feet on the green energy transition. Not only has the corporate giant shown little ambition towards clean power sources, but it’s also actively hindered pushes for residential solar adoption.

Join us in our vision of a cleaner, more affordable, and more equitable utility for the nation’s capital.

We Power DC’s long-term goal is to municipalize Pepco. Pepco’s high energy rates and unforgiving payment policies leave many residents in a cycle of late payments and under constant threat of shutoffs. Nearly a quarter of DC residents owe money to Pepco, and over 80% of low-income residents are consistently in utility debt. To address these inequities and achieve public power, there are a number of short-term actions and reforms that would tangibly weaken Pepco and move DC towards a publicly owned utility. We Power DC is focused on the following goals:

Ongoing Electoral Priorities

Public Power Pledge

We Power DC's Public Power Pledge outlines our vision for a publicly-owned energy system. It calls for replacing Pepco with a publicly owned municipal utility that is democratic, transparent, sourced from 100% clean energy, and directly accountable to the people of DC. Whether you are an elected official, candidate, or a DC resident, sign the pledge today to show your support for public power. 

Ongoing Legislative Priorities

With new public power champions and progressives poised to take office in 2027, WPDC is fighting to advance several legislative priorities: 

  1. Reform Pepco’s existing return on equity

  2. Appoint PSC Commissioners who will hold Pepco accountable and audit Pepco’s rate base

  3. Expand Solar for All and municipally owned solar power

Return on Equity (ROE) Reform

Pepco’s ROE, which is approved by DC’s Public Service Commission (PSC), determines how much Pepco can profit from its capital investments, and accounts for about 15-20% of customer bills. This high return drives up rates and incentivizes Pepco to continue pursuing expensive infrastructure upgrades rather than prioritizing cheaper alternatives such as residential solar. Limiting Pepco’s ROE would provide lower bills for residents and lower Pepco’s valuation in the event of a municipal takeover. It is commonly accepted that utility ROEs across the country are far too high, and DC is included among many other jurisdictions that are considering reforms. 

We Power DC is pushing our electeds, and other aligned Councilmembers, to advance legislation that will limit Pepco’s ROE to 6%, or lower. 

Appoint PSC Commissioners Who Will Hold Pepco Accountable & Audit Pepco’s Ratebase

Pepco is incentivized to overstate cost forecasts and has a history of locking in higher rates and not following through on proposed investments. The PSC has the authority to take Pepco to task for these failures, yet continually fails to do so. Current PSC Commissioner Beverly has called for auditing Pepco’s ratebase, which is the valuation of all of Pepco’s assets that partially determines our rates. The people of DC deserve a precise explanation for why the value of Pepco’s ratebase has doubled since 2017 and is now worth 57% more per megawatt-hour-delivered than in Maryland. Improving transparency into Pepco’s self-calculated ratebase valuation provides more opportunities for the PSC to dispute Pepco’s valuation, leading to lower bills and an easier path to a future municipal takeover.

We Power DC is working with coalition partners to ensure the Janeese Lewis George appoints PSC commissioners who will hold Pepco accountable. 

Expand Solar for All and Municipally Owned Solar

We Power DC plans to push our electeds to expand DC’s Solar for All program and invest in municipally owned solar generation and storage. Increasing the DC government's ownership of electricity resources will provide material benefits to our energy-burdened neighbors while also lowering utility bills for the DC government itself, allowing more of our public budget to go towards vital services. Greater public ownership could also give DC more direct control over grid-modernization strategies like virtual power plants and microgrids. These policies develop state capacity to manage electricity resources and create a clearer pathway toward full municipalization in the future.