​Washington, D.C. (October 21, 2021) – Environmental and company leaders, District of Columbia officials, and other stakeholders came together today in celebration of the new community solar facility installed at Pepco's Benning Service Center, which will help bring more affordable clean energy to residents and supports the District of Columbia's leading climate goals.

The new community solar facility is owned and operated by NHT Ingenuity Power (NHTIP), a joint venture of National Housing Trust and Urban Ingenuity. The solar installation is providing both clean energy and financial benefits to Pepco customers through the District Department of Energy and Environment's (DOEE) Solar for All program. Solar Gaines and RSC Electrical and Mechanical Contractors, a business based in Ward 7, completed installation of the 1,156-kilowatt facility in August, and the facility began operating and providing solar-generated energy to the local energy grid on October 6.

"Climate change, and its social and environmental effects, are among the most significant challenges facing the world today," said Dave Velazquez, president and CEO of Pepco Holdings. "The effort to build a clean energy future is accelerating. At Pepco, we know that our infrastructure for delivering energy to our customers and communities will be the connective platform for deploying the solutions needed, like this community solar facility, to help achieve the District's clean energy and climate goals, equitable and inclusively, ensuring all residents have access to the benefits of clean energy."

This new community solar facility, like others across the District, provides both clean energy to the city and bill savings for low- to moderate-income households through DOEE's Solar for All program, which is facilitated by the DC Sustainable Energy Utility (DCSEU). This new community solar facility is among the largest under the Solar for All program.

"This project embodies NHT's commitment to equitable clean energy solutions that share financial, environmental and health benefits with all DC residents," said Priya Jayachandran, CEO of National Housing Trust. "With the addition of our Benning Road project, NHT has helped drive 8.87 MW of solar power to affordable housing residents, owners, and buildings across the District. We are grateful for our continued partnership with Pepco, DC DOEE's Solar for All program and Urban Ingenuity to advance an equitable carbon neutral future."

The facility is projected to produce 1.38 million kilowatt hours annually, a value of $178,000 per year in energy. As a result, 330 income-qualified households in the District will see up to $500 in annual savings for 15 years on their Pepco electric bill from this particular facility and the Solar for All program. Qualified residents can sign up for Solar for All Community Solar by calling 202-299-5271 or visiting doee.dc.gov/solarforall.

"With the addition of the Benning Road community solar facility, the Solar for All program will have the capacity to connect over 8,000 District households to solar benefits, said Director Tommy Wells, of the District Department of Energy and Environment. That number is set to increase to over 12,000 this fiscal year as Solar for All continues its rapid expansion, helping Mayor Bowser's Administration achieve its climate goals while ensuring that all District households benefit from the clean energy transition."

"We are honored to deliver the Solar for All program in partnership with DOEE and make community solar installations like Pepco's Benning Service Center a reality," said Ted Trabue, Managing Director of the DCSEU. "Since 2019, working with developers like NHT Ingenuity Power and building owners like Pepco, the DCSEU has helped bring more than 160 community solar facilities online that will serve thousands of income-qualified DC residents with the benefits of renewable energy. We look forward to bringing many more community solar projects online to reduce the energy costs of DC residents who need it most and to help the District achieve its clean energy and climate goals."

In addition to providing property to help expand clean energy opportunities across the company's District of Columbia and Maryland service area, Pepco is working with leaders in the solar and clean energy space to streamline the solar and distributed energy interconnection process for customers and installers. The company recently launched a solar calculator and toolkit that can help customers further explore rooftop and community solar opportunities, and is partnering with DOEE to help raise awareness of the Solar for All program. Customers in the District and Maryland should visit pepco.com/Solar for information and resources.