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District of Columbia   District of Columbia Profile

State Profile and Energy Estimates

Changes to the State Energy Data System (SEDS) Notice: In October 2023, we updated the way we calculate primary energy consumption of electricity generation from noncombustible renewable energy sources (solar, wind, hydroelectric, and geothermal). Visit our Changes to 1960—2022 conversion factor for renewable energy page to learn more.

Profile AnalysisPrint State Energy Profile
(overview, data, & analysis)

Last Updated: January 17, 2024

Overview

The District of Columbia, commonly known as Washington, DC, is located on the Potomac River between Maryland and Virginia. The nation's capital was created by an Act of Congress in July 1790, and it is not part of any state.1 The city's center is mostly flat and rises from the banks of the Potomac River to low hills in the north. The Anacostia River, a Potomac tributary, runs through the District's eastern side.2 There are no fossil energy reserves in the District, but there are some renewable resources.3 Although the District of Columbia occupies only about 68 square miles, its population of 690,000 residents is larger than either Wyoming or Vermont, and its population density is greater than that of any U.S. state at nearly 11,300 people per square mile.4,5

Unlike in the 50 states, the commercial sector consumes most of the energy in the District of Columbia.

The District consumes about 60 times more energy than it produces.6 However, the city consumes less total energy than any state except Vermont, and on a per capita basis, the District uses less energy than 38 states.7,8 The city's climate is temperate, but summer days can exceed 100°F, and the rivers contribute to high humidity throughout the year.9 As a result, air conditioning is widely used in the District.10 Unlike any state, the commercial sector accounts for a larger share of energy consumption than any other sector in the District. Three-fifths of the energy used in the District is consumed by the commercial sector, which includes the many federal government buildings, museums, and universities that are a large part of the city's economic activity.11 Government and government enterprises are the biggest contributors to the District's gross domestic product (GDP), accounting for about one-third of the total. Professional, scientific, and technical services account for about one-fifth of the city's GDP, followed by finance, insurance, and real estate at about one-seventh.12 The amount of energy the District uses to produce one dollar of GDP is less than that of any state and about one-fourth of the U.S. average.13

Renewable energy

Solar energy and biomass are the primary renewable resources used to generate electricity within the District of Columbia and accounted for about 76% of the city's total net generation in 2022. There is no commercial hydroelectric, wind, or geothermal power development in the District.14,15,16

In 2022, small-scale solar installations (with capacities of less than 1 megawatt each), such as rooftop solar panels, accounted for more than half of all the electricity generated in the District of Columbia. The District's many government and other commercial buildings, including apartments and schools, have rooftops that can accommodate small-scale solar photovoltaic (PV) installations. At the end of 2022, there were about 11,800 small-scale and utility-scale solar power generating systems in the city with a total generating capacity of about 184 megawatts.17,18 In 2019, the District produced electricity from utility-scale solar facilities (1 megawatt or larger in generating capacity) for the first time.19 The city had 10 utility-scale solar power sites at the end of 2023. The three largest solar generating sites in the District are a 5.9-megawatt facility with about 15,000 panels that came online in early 2019 at the Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling military complex, a 3.5-megawatt solar farm with 12,000 panels that came online in May 2021 at D.C. Water's Blue Plains Advanced Wastewater Treatment Plant, and a 2-megawatt community solar farm with nearly 7,300 solar panels that provides electricity to about 750 nearby households in Southeast D.C. and came online in December 2021.20,21,22,23,24,25 A group of solar arrays atop seven campus buildings at Gallaudet University in northeast D.C., totaling 2.6 megawatts, is expected to be operational in early 2024.26,27 Blue Plains is also the site of the District's only large-scale biomass-fueled generating facility, which has 12 megawatts of capacity and can produce electricity from on-site biomass waste to help reduce the plant's power costs.28,29

Washington ranks second among cities, after Los Angeles, in its number of Energy Star-certified buildings, with 555 buildings covering about 149 million square feet.30 An Energy Star-certified building meets energy-performance standards set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, uses less energy, costs less to operate, and produces fewer greenhouse gas emissions than comparable buildings.31 Many of Washington's federal buildings are Energy Star-certified, including the U.S. Department of Energy's headquarters.32

The District requires that 100% of the electricity sold in the city be generated from renewables by 2032.

In 2005, the District of Columbia adopted a renewable portfolio standard (RPS), which has been amended several times. In 2016, the District updated the RPS to require that 50% of all electricity retail sales in the city come from renewable sources by 2032, with at least 5% from solar energy. In 2019, the RPS increased again to double the renewable requirement to 100% of the District's electricity retail sales by 2032, with the solar energy requirement increasing to 5.5% by 2032 and to 10% by 2041. In 2023, the District increased the 2041 solar energy requirement to 15% of electricity retail sales. Because most of the electricity sold in the District comes from surrounding states, the RPS allows electricity generated by renewable facilities in other states to meet the requirements.33,34 The District has a program to provide financial assistance to small businesses, nonprofits, seniors, and certain households to help pay the costs to install solar power systems. The program's goal is to reduce electric bills by 50% for at least 100,000 low- to moderate-income households by the end of 2032.35,36

Electricity

The District of Columbia receives nearly all of its electricity, about 98%, from power plants in surrounding states.

The District of Columbia receives about 98% of its electricity from power plants in surrounding states.37,38,39 In 2022, solar energy at both utility- and small-scale facilities generated 59% of the electricity within the District. Natural gas accounted for 24% of the District's total electricity generation and biomass was responsible for 17%. There are no operating coal, petroleum, or nuclear power facilities in DC.40

The District's largest electricity-generating facilities are located at government sites, but they are small compared to the generating plants found in most states. DC Water's Blue Plains Advanced Wastewater Treatment Plant (12 megawatts) uses biomass as a generating fuel and the U.S. General Services Administration's (GSA) Central Heating Plant (9 megawatts) uses natural gas.41,42,43 The Capitol Power Plant (7.5 megawatts) has two natural gas-fired cogeneration units that enable the plant to produce steam and chilled water for nearly two dozen buildings on Capitol Hill, as well as electricity for on-site use at the plant.44,45

With its relatively small size and population compared to most states, the District of Columbia consumed less electricity in 2022 than all but four states (Hawaii, Rhode Island, Alaska, and Vermont). However, the city's large number of federal and other office buildings results in high commercial sector power use, which places the District 13th in the nation in per capita total electricity consumption.46,47 The commercial sector accounted for about 71% of the electricity sales in the District of Columbia in 2022, a larger share than in any state. However, total electricity sales to the sector were down 7% from 2019 levels, in part because many government and private sector employees continued to work remotely in 2022.48,49 About 25% of the city's electricity sales went to the residential sector, where slightly less than half of the households use electricity as their primary heating source. The transportation and industrial sectors accounted for 4% of the District's power sales.50,51 Washington is a top market for electric vehicles, and the city has many electric vehicles in private and government fleets. The city's share of electric vehicles, about 2.7% of total registered light-duty vehicles, is higher than any state, except for California, and more than twice the U.S. share.52 To service those vehicles, the District has more than three times as many public electric vehicle charging locations, about 310, as stations that sell motor gasoline.53

Natural gas

Washington, DC, does not have any natural gas reserves or production. District consumers did not have access to out-of-state natural gas supplies until 1931, when pipelined natural gas came to the city from Kentucky and West Virginia for the first time.54,55 For more than 80 years before then, manufactured gas was locally produced from coal and petroleum. A local utility used a mixture of natural gas and manufactured gas from 1931 until 1946. After that, manufactured gas was produced intermittently during periods of peak gas demand until the mid-1980s. The city's last gas-manufacturing plant, which was located south of the Capitol Hill neighborhood near the Anacostia River, was demolished in 1986.56

Natural gas is now supplied to the District by a single natural gas distribution utility, which serves the city and some surrounding suburbs in Maryland and Virginia.57 The utility's local distribution pipelines take natural gas into the city from larger interstate pipelines located in Maryland and Virginia. Historically, most of the natural gas that entered the District came from the south and west through Virginia, but since 2014 larger amounts of natural gas come into the District through Maryland from Pennsylvania, where natural gas production from the Marcellus Shale has increased in recent years.58,59 Although the District does not have any natural gas storage facilities within its boundaries, the utility provides some gas supply to the city from the company's natural gas storage field in West Virginia.60

Almost half of the District’s households rely on natural gas for home heating.

As with total energy consumption, natural gas consumption in the District of Columbia is higher in the commercial sector than in any other sector in the city, and it accounts for less than three-fifths of total natural gas deliveries.61 The federal government is among the city's largest commercial sector natural gas customers. The GSA's Central Heating Plant, which provides steam and chilled cooling water to about 100 buildings, uses two 5-megawatt natural gas-fired turbines to generate electricity and produce steam. The electricity generated at the plant runs high-efficiency chillers that produce the chilled water for cooling. Any excess power is sent to the regional grid.62,63 Separately, the Capitol Power Plant, a 7.5-megawatt cogeneration facility that provides heating and cooling to the 23 buildings of the U.S. Capitol complex, has converted from using coal to natural gas. The conversion project began in 2007 and was completed in 2018.64 The residential sector, where nearly half of District households use natural gas for home heating, is the second-largest natural gas-consuming sector in the city and accounts for about two-fifths of natural gas deliveries.65,66 The transportation sector also uses a small amount of natural gas. Compressed natural gas (CNG) fuels about 400 public transportation buses in the city.67,68

Petroleum

The District of Columbia has no crude oil reserves or refineries and consumes less total petroleum and has lower petroleum use per capita than any state.69,70 The Colonial Pipeline and PPL Pipeline (formerly known as the Plantation Pipeline) transport petroleum products from Gulf Coast refineries to nearby terminals in northern Virginia and Maryland. The petroleum products are then trucked into the District.71,72,73

Per capita motor gasoline expenditures in the District are lower than in any state.

The transportation sector uses three-fourths of the petroleum consumed in the District.74 Motor gasoline sold in the city, as well as in the surrounding Maryland and Virginia suburbs, is a reformulated blend containing ethanol to reduce smog-forming pollutants.75,76 The District does not have any ethanol or biodiesel-producing facilities, but does consume small amounts of both biofuels.77,78 The District's total and per capita gasoline expenditures are lower than those of any state, due in part to its expansive public transportation system, which includes the third-largest subway system and sixth-largest bus network in the country. However, in 2023, average daily subway and bus ridership was still down by about 40% from pre-COVID-19 pandemic levels in 2019.79,80,81

The industrial sector, which includes a small amount of chemical, plastics, and petroleum (asphalt) products manufacturing facilities, accounts for about 16% of petroleum consumption in the District, and the commercial sector accounts for 5%.82,83 A small amount of petroleum is used in the residential sector, where about 2% of District households heat with propane, fuel oil, or kerosene.84 The GSA's Central Heating Plant runs its two generators on natural gas but uses petroleum as an emergency backup fuel source.85 The last two utility-owned petroleum-fired electricity generating facilities in the city retired in 2012.86,87

Coal

There are no coal reserves or coal consumption in the District.88,89 Both the Capitol Power Plant—which began generating electricity in 1910—and the Central Heating Plant—which began operations in 1934—were originally coal-fired.90,91 By the 1950s, the Capitol Power Plant stopped generating electricity but continued to provide steam for heating and chilled water for cooling the U.S. Capitol, the House and Senate office buildings, the Supreme Court building, Library of Congress, and other buildings in the Capitol complex. Although natural gas is the primary fuel source at the Capitol Power Plant, coal can be used as a backup fuel in case of a gas supply disruption.92,93 GSA's Central Heating Plant runs on natural gas. The facility is also still capable of burning coal but uses only petroleum as emergency backup fuel.94

Endnotes

1 Fogle, Jeanne Mason, Washington, D.C., Encyclopedia Britannica, accessed December 12, 2023.
2 World Atlas, District of Columbia, District of Columbia Geography, accessed December 12, 2023.
3 U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), District of Columbia Profile Data, Reserves and Environment, accessed December 12, 2023.
4 World Atlas, District of Columbia, Which State is Washington, D.C. in?, accessed December 12, 2023.
5 U.S. Census Bureau, Data, Historical Population Density Data (1910-2020), updated April 26, 2021.
6 U.S. EIA, State Energy Data System, Table P3, Total Primary Energy Production and Total Energy Consumption Estimates in Trillion Btu, 2021.
7 U.S. EIA, State Energy Data System, Table C11, Total Energy Consumption Estimates by End-Use Sector, Ranked by State, 2021.
8 U.S. EIA, State Energy Data System, Table C14, Total Energy Consumption Estimates per Capita by End-Use Sector, Ranked by State, 2021.
9 Fogle, Jeanne Mason, Washington, D.C., Encyclopedia Britannica, accessed December 12, 2023.
10 U.S. EIA, Residential Energy Consumption Survey (RECS), 2020 RECS Survey Data, State Data, Housing characteristics, Highlights for air conditioning in U.S. homes by state, 2020.
11 U.S. EIA, State Energy Data System, Table C11, Total Energy Consumption Estimates by End-Use Sector, Ranked by State, 2021.
12 U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Interactive Data, Regional Data, GDP & Personal Income, Annual Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by State, SAGDP2 GDP in current dollars, District of Columbia, All statistics in table, District of Columbia, 2022.
13 U.S. EIA, State Energy Data System, Table C10, Total Energy Consumption Estimates, Real Gross Domestic Product (GDP), Energy Consumption Estimates per Real Dollar of GDP, Ranked by State, 2021.
14 U.S. EIA, Electricity Data Browser, Net generation for all sectors (thousand megawatthours), District of Columbia, 2001-22.
15 National Hydropower Association, District of Columbia: Existing Hydropower, accessed December 13, 2023.
16 U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy, WindExchange, Wind Energy in District of Columbia, accessed December 13, 2023.
17 U.S. EIA, Electricity Data Browser, Net generation for all sectors (thousand megawatthours), District of Columbia, 2001-22.
18 Public Service Commission of the District of Columbia, Renewable Energy Portfolio Standards, A Report for Compliance Year 2022 (May 1, 2023), p. i.
19 U.S. EIA, Electricity Data Browser, Net generation for all sectors (thousand megawatthours), District of Columbia, 2001-22.
20 U.S. EIA, Electricity, Preliminary Monthly Electric Generator Inventory (based on Form EIA-860M as a supplement to Form EIA-860), Inventory of Operating Generators as of November 2023, Plant State: DC, Technology: Solar Photovoltaic.
21 National Capital Planning Commission, Executive Director's Recommendation, Commission Meeting: September 7, 2017.
22 DC Water, "Catching some rays: DC Water harnesses the power of the sun," What's on Tap (Summer 2020).
23 Brears, Robert, "Wastewater Treatment Plant Capturing Energy from the Sun," Medium (March 3, 2021).
24 Department of Energy & Environment, Community Solar at Oxon Run, accessed December 13, 2023.
25 Metropolitan Area Planning Council, Community Solar at Oxon Run in Washington, DC, May 20, 2021, p. 9.
26 U.S. EIA, Electricity, Preliminary Monthly Electric Generator Inventory (based on Form EIA-860M as a supplement to Form EIA-860), Inventory of Planned Generators as of November 2023, Plant State: DC, Technology: Solar Photovoltaic.
27 Gallaudet University, "First phase of Gallaudet solar installation nears completion," Press Release (December 12, 2023).
28 DC Water, "DC Water leverages technology first in North America to generate clean, renewable energy from wastewater," Press Release (October 7, 2015).
29 U.S. EIA, Electricity, Preliminary Monthly Electric Generator Inventory (based on Form EIA-860M as a supplement to Form EIA-860), Inventory of Operating Generators as of November2023, Plant State: DC, Technology: Other Waste Biomass.
30 Environmental Protection Agency, 2023 Energy Star Top Cities, accessed December 13, 2023.
31 Energy Star, Energy Star certification for your buildings, accessed December 13, 2023.
32 "DOE HQ designated as Energy Star building," FMLink (July 21, 2008).
33 DSIRE, Renewables Portfolio Standard, updated November 8, 2023.
34 Public Service Commission of the District of Columbia, Renewable Energy Portfolio Standards, A Report for Compliance Year 2022 (May 1, 2023), p. 1-3.
35 Public Service Commission of the District of Columbia, Renewable Energy Portfolio Standards, A Report for Compliance Year 2022 (May 1, 2023), p. 22.
36 District of Columbia, Department of Energy and Environment, Solar for All, accessed December 13, 2023.
37 Pepco, Company Information, Service Territory, accessed December 18, 2023.
38 PJM Interconnection, Who We Are, accessed December 18, 2023.
39 U.S. EIA, District of Columbia Electricity Profile 2022, Table 10, Supply and disposition of electricity, 1990 through 2022.
40 U.S. EIA, Electricity Data Browser, Net generation for all sectors (thousand megawatthours), District of Columbia, 2001-22.
41 U.S. EIA, Electricity, Preliminary Monthly Electric Generator Inventory (based on Form EIA-860M as a supplement to Form EIA-860), Inventory of Operating Generators as of November 2023, Plant State: DC, Technology: All.
42 U.S. EIA, Electricity Data Browser, Net generation for all sectors (thousand megawatthours), District of Columbia, 2001-22.
43 DC Water, "DC Water leverages technology first in North America to generate clean, renewable energy from wastewater," Press Release (October 7, 2015).
44 District of Columbia, Department of the Environment, "District Issues Air Quality Permits for Cogeneration Equipment at the U.S. Capitol Power Plant," Press Release (June 6, 2013).
45 Architect of the Capitol, Cogeneration at the Capitol Power Plant, accessed December 18, 2023.
46 U.S. EIA, Electric Power Annual (October 19, 2023), Table 2.8.
47 U.S. EIA, Table C17, Electricity Sales to Ultimate Customers, Total and Residential, Total and per Capita, Ranked by State, 2021.
48 U.S. EIA, Electricity Data Browser, Retail sales of electricity (million kilowatthours), District of Columbia, 2001-22.
49 Dil, Cuneyt, "Remote work declines from pandemic peak in D.C. area," Axios (September 25, 2023).
50 U.S. EIA, Electricity Data Browser, Retail sales of electricity (million kilowatthours), District of Columbia, 2001-22.
51 U.S. Census Bureau, House Heating Fuel, Table B25040, 2022 ACS 1-Year Estimates Detailed Tables, District of Columbia.
52 U.S. EIA, State Energy Data System, Table F39, Electric light-duty vehicles overview, 2022.
53 U.S. EIA, District of Columbia, Profile Data, Supply & Distribution, Fueling Stations, accessed December 19, 2023.
54 U.S. EIA, District of Columbia Profile Data, Reserves and Supply & Distribution, accessed December 20, 2023.
55 Hershman, Robert R., and Edward T. Stafford, Growing with Washington, The Story of Our First Hundred Years, Albert W. Atwood (ed.), Washington Gas Light (1948), p. 58.
56 National Park Service, Anacostia, Washington Gas-East Station Site, updated August 12, 2022.
57 Washington Gas, Corporate Governance, accessed December 20, 2023.
58 U.S. EIA, International & Interstate Movements of Natural Gas by State, District of Columbia, Annual, 2017-22.
59 U.S. EIA, "Increases in natural gas production from Appalachia affect natural gas flows," Today in Energy (March 12, 2019).
60 WGL, Hampshire Gas, accessed December 20, 2023.
61 U.S. EIA, Natural Gas Consumption by End-Use, District of Columbia, Annual, 2017-22.
62 U.S. General Services Administration, Central Heating Plant, Washington, DC, Building Overview, updated August 28, 2023.
63 "GSA putting a lot of energy into new D.C. plant," Washington Business Journal (October 13, 2003).
64 Architect of the Capitol, Cogeneration at the Capitol Power Plant, accessed December 20, 2023.
65 U.S. Census Bureau, House Heating Fuel, Table B25040, 2022 ACS 1-Year Estimates Detailed Tables, District of Columbia.
66 U.S. EIA, Natural Gas Consumption by End-Use, District of Columbia, Annual, 2017-22.
67 Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, FY2024 Budget (July 1, 2023f), Age of Total Fleet, p. 295.
68 U.S. EIA, Natural Gas Consumption by End-Use, District of Columbia, Annual, 2017-22.
69 U.S. EIA, State Energy Data System, Table C15, Petroleum Consumption, Total and per Capita, Ranked by State, 2021.
70 U.S. EIA, District of Columbia, Profile Data, Reserves, Supply & Distribution, accessed December 21, 2023.
71 Kinder Morgan, Products Pipelines, Southeast Operations, Products (SE) Pipe Line Corporation, accessed December 21, 2023.
72 Kinder Morgan, Form 10-K, For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020, Products Pipeline, Southeast Refined Products, PPL Pipeline, p. 10.
73 Colonial Pipeline Company, System Map, accessed December 21, 2023.
74 U.S. EIA, State Energy Data System, Table F16, Total Petroleum Consumption Estimates, 2021.
75 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Gasoline Standards, Reformulated Gasoline, accessed December 21, 2023.
76 American Petroleum Institute, U.S. Gasoline Requirements, updated January 2018.
77 U.S. EIA, State Energy Data System, Table PT1, Primary Energy Production Estimates in Physical Units, District of Columbia, 1960-2021.
78 U.S. EIA, State Energy Data System, Table C3, Primary Energy Consumption Estimates, 2021.
79 U.S EIA, State Energy Data System, Table E20, Motor Gasoline Price and Expenditure Estimates, Ranked by State, 2021.
80 Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, Metro Snapshot 2022.
81 Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, Metrorail Ridership Summary and Metrobus Ridership Summary, accessed December 21, 2023.
82 U.S. EIA, State Energy Data System, Table F16, Total Petroleum Consumption Estimates, 2021.
83 U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Interactive Data, Regional Data, GDP & Personal Income, Annual Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by State, SAGDP2 in Current Dollars, District of Columbia, All statistics in table, 2022.
84 U.S. Census Bureau, House Heating Fuel, Table B25040, 2022 ACS 1-Year Estimates Detailed Tables, District of Columbia.
85 U.S. General Services Administration, Central Heating Plant, Washington, DC, Overview, accessed December 21, 2023.
86 Pepco Holdings, "Benning and Buzzard Point Decommissioning," Press Release (June 6, 2014).
87 Pepco Holdings, Benning Power Plant Demolition Completed (July 2015).
88 U.S. EIA, Coal Data Browser, Total consumption, Annual, 2000-22.
89 U.S. EIA, Annual Coal Report 2022 (October 3, 2023), Table 15, Recoverable Coal Reserves at Producing Mines, Estimated Recoverable Reserves, and Demonstrated Reserve Base by Mining Method, 2022.
90 Architect of the Capitol, Capitol Power Plant, accessed December 22, 2023.
91 U.S. General Services Administration, Central Heating Plant, Washington, DC, accessed December 22, 2023.
92 Architect of the Capitol, Letter to District of Columbia Department of the Environment (May 16, 2013).
93 Architect of the Capitol, Cogeneration at the Capitol Power Plant, accessed December 22, 2023.
94 U.S. General Services Administration, Central Heating Plant, Washington, DC, accessed December 22, 2023.