New Leaders, Lower Bills for D.C.
No Reappointments for the PSC!
Over their four years on D.C.’s Public Service Commission, Chairman Thompson and Commissioner Trabue have voted for nearly $400 million in spending by D.C.’s monopoly utilities, from Project Pipe extensions to rate hikes. In 2026 we’re no closer to a plan for transitioning the city away from methane gas that we were in 2021. Bills are piling up for D.C. families, while our utilities bring in record profits. And now, they want four more years on the job.
We’ve been organizing to Stop Project Pipes for years. We’ve sent in a record number of public comments, rallied, testified at the Commission, and disrupted hearings… again and again. And while we’ve moved the needle, the Commission majority continues to side with monopoly utilities over D.C. residents. We’ve seen enough. It’s time for NEW LEADERS and LOWER BILLS, not four more years of the same.
Four Years of Fossil Fuels and Rate Hikes
Chairman Thompson and Commissioner Trabue started their terms in 2022. Since then, your utility bills have gone up every single year, because Chairman Thompson and Commissioner Trabue have:
- Approved questionably high rate hikes for both Washington Gas and Pepco (the latest Pepco case is still in court)
- Extended Project Pipes FOUR times in two years, requiring DC ratepayers to pay $117.5 million for a failing fossil fuel project
- Failed to actually plan for the clean energy transition, instead allowing DC to stay hooked on methane gas and vulnerable to regionally rising electricity costs driven by data centers
Want the nitty gritty details of what these two have been up to over their terms? Read CCAN’s Docket Dispatch for the full report.
Meanwhile, approximately one in seven D.C. households are behind on their gas bills alone, while Pepco disconnection notices spiked by nearly 20% in December 2025. Making matters worse, the volatile price of fossil fuels has caused energy prices to skyrocket, with the residential price of electricity rising 5.5% in November 2025 compared to the year prior and the price of gas rising 88.5%. At the same time, Pepco and Washington Gas continued to make record profits, with Pepco raking in $40.95 million in December 2025 and Washington Gas gave its shareholders a 6% dividend increase that same month.
These aren’t the leaders we need to take on the climate emergency or D.C.’s affordability crisis.
We’re Demanding New Leaders and Lower Bills
We’re demanding the D.C. Council not reappoint Chair Thompson or Commissioner Trabue.
In the middle of an energy affordability crisis, we need leaders who will put people over profit. In the middle of the climate emergency, we need leaders who will actually implement D.C.’s climate commitments. It’s time for new leaders who are up to the task.
D.C.’s Mayor has made her decision: she’s put these folks up for reappointment when their terms expire this summer. But now it’s up to the D.C. Council to approve the reappointments. So we’re organizing to stop that from happening, and we need you with us to win.
Take Action Now!
1: Testify for new leaders and lower bills on Friday, February 27
D.C. Council needs to hear our demand for new leaders directly from D.C. residents. Testify at this year’s PSC Performance Oversight Hearing (think annual performance evaluation) and ask the Council not to move forward reappointments for Chairman Thompson or Commissioner Trabue. RSVP now with CCAN Action Fund and we’ll provide talking points, 1:1 prep sessions to get you ready, and day-of support including FREE lunch. You can testify in person or online!
2: Sign CCAN’s petition for ratepayer protections
D.C. should prioritize people and our planet over corporate profit. Sign CCAN’s petition to tell D.C. leaders to protect those of us that pay utility bills and make sure our money isn’t spent against our interests.
3: Join this campaign!
Our work is people-powered. We’ve been organizing to stop Project Pipes for years, and hundreds of D.C. residents have joined us. Whether that means signing petitions, testifying at Council, or becoming one of our Action Team members – we need you with us! Sign up to volunteer and let us know you’re interested in our New Leaders, Lower Bills campaign.
Key Articles
- Goodbye Gas? Inside the battle over your home heat. – The 51st
- Local Activists Speak Out Against Washington Gas Pipeline Replacement Plan. – The Washington Informer
- Washington Gas is Betting Against the Climate, and Your Health, with Billions of Your Money. – Earthjustice
- A safer, more affordable DC begins with a plan to move beyond gas. – Greater Greater Washington
