Extinction Rebellion Exposes Electric Utility Company Pepco for the Blood on Their Hands
Washington, DC, December 2nd 2022 – Today, Extinction Rebellion DC (XRDC) targeted the utility company servicing most of the District’s electricity for its latest act of corporate greed: obstructing DC’s climate goals.
At Pepco’s DC office, rebels covered the Pepco logo with a banner reading, “Pepco 🖤 Climate Chaos.” Rebels representing Pepco then covered other people–symbolizing DC residents–in artificial blood, demonstrating that Pepco is killing people by killing efforts to electrify DC.
Over the summer, the DC Council passed legislation to require net zero emissions by 2045 and to ban deadly natural gas in most new buildings. While these laws don’t go far enough, they are important steps toward a fossil fuel-free DC. But right before the Construction Codes Coordinating Board (CCCB) was set to vote on the new all-electric building plan, Pepco raised unsubstantiated concerns to derail its passage–despite just last year claiming electrification would not cause a problem for the District’s power grid.
This last-minute effort to derail electrification only serves to keep the District hooked on deadly fossil fuels. Pepco's sole concern is their bottom line, and as a result of their greed, the District stays addicted to deadly fossil fuels, accelerating our descent into climate chaos and threatening the health and safety of our most vulnerable communities.
“DC residents are sick and tired of being taken advantage of by companies who don’t care about our well-being. Pepco’s job is to serve the people and it’s clear they aren’t suited for the job,” said Reilly Polka, a spokesperson for XRDC. “They are corrupt, climate-crisis-profiteers, led by Exelon, a climate-denial corporation who put profits over people and the planet. DC is burning and we do not have time for thoughtless muddling in the face of crisis.”
To avoid climate hell and achieve a liveable future, DC must electrify everything – starting NOW. The CCCB must approve the all-electric building codes, and DC officials must hold Pepco accountable for their deceit.
Note to Editors:
Pepco’s parent company, Exelon, is waging an all-out assault on electrification. Exelon had a long history of lobbying against clean energy before its merger with Pepco. Exelon is even part of an industry group that’s literally called the “Consortium to Combat Electrification.” It seems Exelon, whose holdings include gas companies, will do anything it takes to protect their bottom line while they keep profiting from dirty, dangerous, deadly fossil fuels.
Since undermining the DC proposal, Pepco has urged Montgomery County, Md., to stop its work on Bill 13-22, which would shift to all-electric building standards. They used ratepayer money to fight the Maryland Climate Solutions Now Act, which includes emission reduction targets and energy conservation requirements for buildings.
Pepco’s manipulative interventions in these electrification bills are only the latest stunts in Pepco’s long history of fighting safe, affordable energy in our city.
Since merging with Exelon in 2016, they’ve worked to pack the Public Service Commission with candidates who will do their bidding.
They even ran deceptive ads on social media in an attempt to trick residents into voicing support for weakening climate legislation.
And their mishandling of community solar programs has been so harmful to DC’s climate goals that the Office of the Attorney General and Office of the People’s Counsel filed a complaint against Pepco earlier this year.
Experts agree: DC is more than ready for electrification. Even Pepco says so – that is, they did, until they abruptly derailed the building code vote. Pepco’s own 2021 report said that if DC achieves its decarbonization goals, electric power capacity will “remain well within the rate of system growth that Pepco DC has successfully managed and operated historically.”
About Extinction Rebellion
Time has almost entirely run out to address the climate & ecological crisis, including the sixth mass extinction, global pollution, and abrupt, runaway climate change. Societal collapse and mass death are seen as inevitable by scientists and other credible voices if rapid action is not taken.
Extinction Rebellion believes it is a citizen’s duty to rebel, using peaceful civil disobedience, when faced with criminal inactivity by their Government.
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