A natural gas-fired power plant won’t be built as part of the 180-acre redevelopment of the RFK Stadium Campus, officials said Wednesday following a flurry of activity from community and environmental organizers who worried that project leaders could be walking back some green energy commitments.
In a statement to The Washington Sun on Wednesday, a spokesperson from the RFK Project Management Office said “there is no need for, nor will there be, a natural gas-fired power plant” as part of the $3.8 billion project. Along with new green space and parks, the RFK Campus Master Plan calls for over 5,500 new housing units, with 30% of them to be dedicated as affordable. The redevelopment is expected to bring over $4 billion in new tax revenue and create 2,000 permanent jobs, according to the master plan.
Though no power plant is planned, natural gas is expected to be used in the project regardless — just to keep fans warm and cook their hot dogs come opening day, a Washington Commanders official said Wednesday. Given the size and scale of the project, using “minimal” natural gas for heating and cooking would be required because of power capacity and to stay on track for a 2030 opening.
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The use of natural gas in the project will require an exemption to the Greener Government Buildings Amendment Act of 2022, which forbids the use of fossil fuels in publicly funded projects. The exemption would be reviewed by the Green Building Advisory Council.
On Wednesday, a coalition of nonprofits and neighborhood organizations held a press conference to denounce the idea of building a new gas-fired power plant at the site. Attendees held signs stating, “GAS at RFK = POISON to people + planet” and “Burning gas at RFK? It’s a trick play. Block it.”
It still feels “very unclear what the plan is,” Mark Rodeffer, the political committee chair for the Sierra Club of the District of Columbia, said Wednesday. While officials have indicated they are not planning a power plant, a March request for proposals for an RFK redevelopment energy plan indicated a contractor would evaluate “the integration of a combined heat and power natural gas facility” in the RFK redevelopment.
Even if a natural gas facility is not included in the plan, Rodeffer said it was “outrageous” that a request to evaluate integrating one was in the RFP. The final energy plan is yet to be released. Officials have also complicated the language used to refer to the energy plan.
During a Sept. 30 hearing, Department of Buildings Director Brian Hanlon said that a natural gas power plant was “not under consideration,” but also said there would be a blended solution of “electricity to the stadium and natural gas systems” in order to open by 2030. Many attendees at the October press conference, like Rodeffer, had expressed concerns about the project during the hearing.
The final energy plan is expected to conclude later this year, which would coincide with a plan to hire an energy developer, Hanlon said during the hearing.
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