Protest at Pepcoal Shareholders' Meeting!

D.C. Rising Tide joined with DC Solar United Neighborhoods (SUN) today to demand that Pepco(al) bring them distributed renewable energy, not electricity from coal, other fossil fuels, or nuclear energy. The groups protested Pepcoal during the corporation's annual shareholders meeting at its headquarters in downtown D.C.

The D.C. residents chalked the sidewalk with coal and handed coal to shareholders to tell Pepcoal that we don't want their dirty coal. Others chanted out "Now is the hour for solar power" and "No more Pepcoal!"

Pepco continues to give DC residents electricity mainly from coal, including coal from mountaintop removal. The corporation has impeded efforts to promote solar energy in DC, and has even rejected a shareholder resolution to help make them move towards renewable energy.

"The currents of climate justice are coming to Pepco(al). It's time for them to dump the fossil fuels and nuclear and amp up the renewable energy. If they don't, we need to move immediately to create a people's utility instead," said DC Rising Tide member Lacy MacAuley.

The protest comes as the shareholders of Pepco Holdings Inc meet for their annual general meeting but fail to discuss a shareholder resolution filed to make the company support distributed solar energy in the District. DC SUN member John Capozzi, also a Pepco shareholder, filed a shareholder resolution in 2010 to force the company to work to facilitate residential solar projects in the District. But Pepco(al) and the Securities and Exchange Commission dismissed the shareholder resolution based on the erroneous claim that it only addressed the company's regular business operations.

"We want access to solar and we don't want Pepco to keep dragging its feet about it," said Robert Robinson of the DC Solar United Neighborhoods (DC SUN).

DC Rising Tide members also called for the corporation to pay reparations for their past and ongoing harm to communities and the environment. The company, for example, has declined to clean up and pay up for its PCB pollution of the Anacostia River from its Benning Road facility.

"It's time for Pepco(al) to change or be fired," said MacAuley. A number of concerned residents indicated that they would prefer a more accountable municipal utility. Montgomery County has already been discussing creating a public utility company that would be more accountable than Pepco(al), and the idea is gaining in popularity in DC as well.

Greenwash Guerrillas target Pepcoal on Fossil Fool’s Day!

We learned today that the Greenwash Guerrillas in D.C. have taken on Pepcoal for the second year in a row on Fossil Fool’s Day!

Greenwash Guerrillas added additional characters to the “PEPCO” sign on the company’s headquarters building, so that it read "PEPCOAL." Hundreds of fake Pepco advertisements also went up in the DC metrorail system late last night. The Fossil Fool’s Day advertisements highlight Pepco’s continued delivery of electricity from harmful fossil fuels, including coal from mountaintop removal mining.



The press release from Greenwash Guerrillas stated that Pepco is delivering electricity to DC that comes mostly from burning coal, including coal from mountaintop removal mining. The company provided 0 percent of its electricity from solar energy, and less than 2 percent from wind energy in 2010.

This Fossil Fool’s day prank follows the Greenwash Guerrilla prank in 2010, when thousands of letters were distributed to Pepco customers stating that "Pepco is going green" and making radical changes to its infrastructure to shift to wind and solar energy. The letters appeared to be a customer notice from Joseph M. Rigby, chief executive of Pepco's parent company, Pepco Holdings, Inc. Pepco was forced to make public comment on the letters, as noted in the Washington Post. A mock website, www.pepco-green.com, looked similar to www.pepco.com, and announced the greening initiative.

More info and photos on D.C. Indymedia

"Pepcoal" target of flash mob! Appalachia Rising!

DC Rising Tide surprised Pepco(al) customers and staff today in the Pepco(al) lobby as they burst into song criticizing Pepco(al) for their delivery of electricity from coal, including coal from Mountain Top Removal coal mining in Appalachia. In this "flash mob" event, the activists entered the customer service area in Pepco(al)'s headquarters in Washington DC and called them out for "Destroying Mountains, Destroying Communities."



The singers also demanded that Pepco(al) stop sourcing energy generated from burning coal, particularly coal from mountaintop removal mining, use renewable energy like wind and solar instead, provide reparations to communities impacted by their power plants and by climate change, and cancel rate hikes for folks in DC.


The flash mob comes one year after DC Rising Tide initially delivered demands to Pepco at their headquarters. DC Rising Tide returned today as part of the Appalachia Rising movement to save the mountains, culminating in massive street demonstrations on Monday the 27th.

DC Rising Tide and DC Students for Democratic Society FUNK the Warming!

Photos and video from today's Funk the Warming protest in Washington, DC





funk the warming protest in DC today


presenting the 'fossil hawk' egg to the chamber of commerce


funk the warming visits pepco!


pepco= fossil hawk! because they are responsible for mountains in Appalachia being blown up for coal!


square dance in front of pepco's office


leading the square dance




"if i can't dance, i don't want to be in your revolution" -emma goldman


showing the banner to pepco employees inside




dancing in the streets in front of pepco


delivering a fossil hawk egg to Shell







More photos here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/46335929@N08/sets/72157623337272274/

and for more info: dc-sds.org

http://itsgettinghotinhere.org/2010/01/30/funk-the-warming-takes-dc-fossil-hawks-by-storm/

Pepco(al) Under Fire for Sourcing Electricity from Coal

DC Rising Tide activists hold a street theater event in front of the headquarters of Pepco in Downtown Washington, DC, to demand that Pepco stop sourcing their electricity from Mountain Top Removal coal.


October 26, 2009

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE


Pepco(al) under Fire for Sourcing Electricity from Coal

Contact: dcrisingtide@riseup.net

Slideshow of photos: http://s694.photobucket.com/albums/vv309/dcrisingtide/street%20theater%2010-26-09/?albumview=slideshow

Video from the event: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UJ0yJ-n8O3w


Washington, D.C.
DC residents with the activist group DC Rising Tide today publicly presented their demands that Pepco stop sourcing electricity from coal, and particularly coal from Mountain Top Removal coal mining. The activists made their demands for renewable energy with a theatrical fight between “Pepcoal” and wind power in front of the headquarters of Pepco and its parent company Pepco Holdings.


The "Pepcoal" smokestack, Wind Power, and Mountains at Pepco's office in DC

“As a DC resident receiving my power from Pepco, I am outraged that most of that electricity comes from burning coal, especially from coal from the Mountain Top Removal coal mining destroying Appalachia,” said Erica Madrid.

The activists demonstrated the role that Pepco Holdings plays in the destruction of mountains and valleys in Appalachia by enacting a fight between coal and a coal-burning power plant and wind energy, with the mountains and the planet representing the stakes in the fight.


"Pepcoal" battles with Wind in front of Pepco's office building


Wind knocks out "Pepcoal" to save the mountains

“Pepco is supporting the destruction of Appalachian mountains, communities, and streams, as well as the destruction of the global climate by using all that coal,” said Andrew Thomaides, as he handed out fliers to Pepco staff.


DC Rising Tide activists handing out fliers to staff and passerby's

In 2008, the electricity that Pepco provided to DC residents came mainly (53%) from coal, and only 0.5% came from wind energy. A large part of the coal burned for Pepco electricity has come from Mountain Top Removal mining in Appalachia. In addition, the parent company Pepco Holdings, Inc. owns two coal- fired power plants and a number of other fossil fuel plants. Pepco Holdings renewable energy facilities represent less than 1% of the generating capacity of the facilities it owns. The company is even planning the construction of two new fossil fuel power plants.

The DC Rising Tide group’s demands include that Pepco Holdings stop sourcing electricity from Mountain Top Removal coal mining, replaces that electricity with renewable energy, and stop construction of new fossil fuel power plants. The public demand today comes several weeks after the group sent a letter with their demands to Pepco Holdings. The group received a letter in response that failed to respond to their key demands.


Banner reads "Pepco: Stop using Mountain Top Removal Coal! - DC Rising Tide"

Mountain Top Removal coal mining means blowing off most of a mountain and pushing the fill into the valleys. MTR has destroyed over 500 mountains and over 2,000 miles of streams in Appalachia. Mining and burning of coal also represents one of the greatest sources of greenhouse gas pollution, which is fueling the climate change that threatens life on Earth.

DC Rising Tide, an all-volunteer collective organizing for climate justice, is making its demands of Pepco Holdings in solidarity with the communities of Appalachia that are struggling and taking action to stop the destruction of their mountains.



DC Rising Tide activists march in front of Pepco, chanting "no more coal!"



More photos here.

dc rising tide sends letter to Pepco saying "stop using Mountain Top Removal Coal!"

today, dc rising tide sent a letter to Pepco demanding that they stop sourcing their coal from mountain top removal sites, as well as asking them to not build any new fossil fuel power plants and to switch to renewable energy.

4 activists delivered the letter to the Pepco headquaters in Washington, DC.

the activists asked to speak with Joe Rigby, the president of Pepco, but his assistant said he was unavailable and accepted the letter on his behalf.



activists leaving the pepco office, after delivering letter




dc rising tide activists in front of pepco's headquarters in DC


here is a clip from the letter that was sent today:

"As residents of Washington DC and the surrounding area, we are extremely concerned that you have done virtually nothing to transition to renewable, clean energy for electricity generation. We urge you to immediately take real steps towards clean energy use, including the following:
• stop sourcing coal from mountaintop removal sites, publicly state your opposition to and refusal to source from mountaintop removal coal mining, and replace that supply with renewable energy (wind and solar energy); and
• halt construction of fossil fuel power plants."


pepco, we await your response...