D.C. is America's Top Green Power Community

The District of Columbia is the winner of the nation’s first Green Power Community Challenge for consuming the largest amount of green power annually, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced yesterday.

EPA launched the Green Power Challenge in September 2010 and more than 30 communities across 14 states and the District of Columbia took on the challenge.

More than eight percent of energy needed to serve D.C. businesses, residents, and the District government comes from green power. Total usage came to more than 772 million kilowatt-hours (kWh) of green power per year.

“I am very honored to represent a community of such environmentally conscious people and institutions, and proud that the District government played a major role in achieving this honor," said Mayor Vincent Gray in a prepared statement.

Local organizations and residents have contributed to the effort in Georgetown.

Last October Patrick Clawson played host to random flocks of people in his 130-year-old row house near Wisconsin Ave because his home featured Georgetown's first solar panels. 

"Not only is it environmental, but it's a good investment," Clawson told Patch previously. He said the D.C. grants and tax rebates played a decisive role in getting him to install the panels.

“The Green Power Community Challenge proved that any community, no matter its size, can harness the collective power of its businesses and residents to achieve real environmental results,” said EPA Assistant Administrator Gina McCarthy in a prepared statement.