The Washington Commanders want an exemption from D.C.'s 2022 climate law for the RFK Stadium site. The team may need a natural gas power plant to fuel the $3.7 billion campus, The 51st first reported.
The Greener Government Buildings Amendment Act of 2022 bans fossil fuel infrastructure in buildings the District owns or substantially finances. Preliminary design plans suggest a gas-burning plant could be needed to power the stadium campus. Brian Hanlon, head of the D.C. Department of Buildings and Mayor Muriel Bowser's pick to manage the RFK project, testified to that effect at a Sept. 30 D.C. Council oversight hearing.
Hanlon's testimony was contradictory. He said a natural gas plant is "not under consideration," but also confirmed the city included natural gas as a potential option when soliciting proposals from energy developers. He then disclosed the team is preparing an exemption request.
Council Chairman Phil Mendelson called Hanlon "very unprepared" for questions about the energy plans, The 51st reported. Mendelson told the outlet the Bowser administration "is doing everything they can to make people anxious and nervous and suspicious about this, maybe unnecessarily."
Hanlon said Pepco's nearby substation lacks the capacity to fully power the stadium without on-site energy generation. The NFL also requires backup power for any stadium hoping to host a Super Bowl.
But Ward 6 Councilmember Charles Allen, chair of the Committee on Transportation and the Environment, said the team may be overestimating its energy needs. Allen pointed to the Buffalo Bills' new stadium, which he said uses roughly half as much power as the Commanders project.
Allen has written a letter to the Commanders pressing for answers but has not received a response, according to The 51st. The team also did not respond to that outlet's requests for comment.
Mark Rodeffer, political committee chair for the D.C. Sierra Club, told WUSA9 his group believes plans are in the works to build a gas-fired power plant at the RFK site in violation of D.C. law.
The exemption process would go through the Green Building Advisory Council (GBAC), a group of policy experts who make a recommendation. The final decision rests with the Department of Energy and Environment, which answers to the mayor.
The city went through a similar process with the Capital One Arena renovation, granting owner Monumental Sports and Entertainment exemptions from the same law for the taxpayer-funded overhaul, as Washington City Paper reported.
Ward 3 Councilmember Matt Frumin suggested at the hearing that political timing may be a factor. He noted the current administration may want to secure the waiver before the next mayor takes office. Ward 4 Councilmember Janeese Lewis George, who has been more critical of the RFK project, is the presumptive next mayor.
Hanlon said the rush is to keep the project on schedule for a 2030 opening. D.C. officials have said foundation work could begin as early as spring 2027.
Allen said he has spoken with experts who suggest battery storage of renewable energy as an alternative to a gas plant. The Las Vegas Raiders already use that approach at their stadium.
"At some point we have to decide: Is that real? Is that a bluff?" Allen told The 51st. "The stadium is going to be here for the next 50 to 75 years."
