Janeese Lewis George’s Bill Pausing Utility Shutoffs Amid Extreme Pepco Rate Increases Passes In DC Council

Lowering costs for DC residents is a top priority for the mayoral candidate

Today, the DC Council passed emergency legislation introduced by Janeese Lewis George temporarily pausing electricity shutoffs amid extreme Pepco rate increases crushing DC residents. 

Lowering costs for everyday Washingtonians is a top priority for Ward 4 Councilmember Lewis George, who is running to be DC’s next mayor. The legislation passed today prevents Pepco from disconnecting the electricity of residents and businesses for 90 days if they owe $1,000 or less. 

“Today, government delivered for working families. No family in DC should have to choose between keeping the lights on and putting food on the table,” says Janeese Lewis George. 

The Ward 4 councilmember pushed the emergency legislation after the courts tossed out rate increases, which Pepco advocated for and DC regulators approved. The courts found that regulators failed to adequately scrutinize Pepco’s proposal for the multi-year rate increases. 

The rate hikes led DC to have the largest spike in utility bill costs nationwide. Sierra Club has said that lax oversight of regulators by Kenyan McDuffie, former chair of the committee overseeing utilities, is partly to blame. 

“My utility bill is too high. It’s another bill I struggle to pay,” says Ward 7 resident, Emily Williams, who’s a 32BJ union member. “DC needs leaders who will stand up for working people, not Pepco lobbyists.”   

 As mayor, Lewis George will lower utility costs by

  • Appointing DC utility regulators who prioritize the needs of the people of DC and not Pepco or other utility companies. 
  • Holding AI data centers accountable through regional cooperation and legal strategies.  
  • Increasing access to affordable energy tools like community solar, government solar, and balcony solar.
  • Empowering residents through utility rate options.  
  • Removing barriers and automatically enrolling eligible residents into energy assistance programs. 

Read Lewis George’s full plan here.