PRESS RELEASE

DowntownDC BID Taps Into Renewable Energy Source

Release Date: Monday, March 7th 2011

SAM Building to Convert to Washington Gas Energy Services, Inc. CleanSteps(SM)WindPower

WASHINGTON, DC – The DowntownDC BID’s SAM headquarters building, located at 1229 New York Avenue, NW, and home to nearly 100 Safety/Hospitality and Maintenance (SAM) employees, is switching to wind power. To reduce costs and dependency on carbon-based fuels that harm the environment, the DowntownDC Business Improvement District (BID) has contracted with Washington Gas Energy Services (WGES) to provide 100% CleanSteps(SM) WindPower to the Downtown SAM headquarters building.

“Improving sustainability through operational practices and the physical plant are important steps in our Greening Downtown DC initiative, which supports the city’s efforts to become one of the world’s most sustainable cities,” said Richard H. Bradley, executive director of the DowntownDC BID. “WGES CleanSteps(SM) WindPower will not only save us more than $3,000 over two years, but it will generate interest among other BID-based businesses and buildings interested in purchasing electricity generated by green resources.”

WGES will supply green power from wind farms to the SAM headquarters building beginning in April. Wind power is the world’s fastest growing energy source and helps reduce carbon dioxide caused by the environmental impacts of electricity use from fossil fuel plants. Office buildings are the District of Columbia’s greatest greenhouse gas emitters.

“We are very excited to be able to help the DowntownDC BID reduce its carbon footprint by purchasing 100% WGES CleanSteps(SM) WindPower over the next two years,” said Harry Warren, president of WGES. “The DowntownDC BID’s wind power purchase will reduce the SAM building’s carbon footprint by more than 62 metric tons per year, the equivalent of eliminating greenhouse gas emissions from more than 7,000 gallons of gasoline over the life of the two-year contract.”

Converting to wind power is easy; it does not require installing new wires or equipment. Customers simply choose an energy supplier, which then notifies the local utility company of the change. Customers continue to receive one monthly bill that includes the supplier’s charges from the local electricity utility, which continues to deliver electricity, read meters and respond to power outages and electric emergencies.

The DowntownDC BID also works with local and federal agencies to promote sustainability and is registered as a Green Power Partner under the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Green Power Partnership, a voluntary program that supports organizations looking to procure electricity produced from a subset of renewable resources, such as wind, solar, geothermal, biomass and low-impact hydro. The EPA has more than 1,300 partners nationwide and more than five dozen in the District of Columbia, including the D.C. Government and several federal agencies.

The DowntownDC BID joins the following Downtown organizations as Green Power Partners: the American Chemical Society; Beveridge & Diamond, PC; Hyatt Regency Washington; Inter-American Development Bank; National Press Club; Saxby’s Coffee; US Department of Veteran Affairs; and the Internal Revenue Service.

“Federal government investment, the local government’s progressive sustainability legislation and private-sector green building activity already make Downtown DC a leader nationally,” said Bradley. “When it comes to alternative energy sources, our challenge now is to encourage other Downtown businesses to follow our lead and that of other BID-based establishments to tap into renewable energy sources.”

The DowntownDC BID’s Greening Downtown DC initiative is a comprehensive set of programs and services where the DowntownDC BID serves as a facilitator and a catalyst—by forming partnerships to undertake research, establish measures, communicate information and convene training sessions. It targets four interrelated areas: greening new and existing buildings; educating tenants on green best practices; improving public spaces; and enhancing transportation options.

About the DowntownDC BID
The DowntownDC Business Improvement District (BID) is a private non-profit organization that provides capital improvements, resources and research to help diversify the economy and enhance the Downtown experience for all. This special district, where property owners have agreed to tax themselves to fund services, encompasses a 138-block area of approximately 825 properties from Massachusetts Avenue on the north to Constitution Avenue on the south, and from Louisiana Avenue on the east to 16th Street on the west. As a catalyst, facilitator and thought leader, the Downtown BID promotes public/private partnerships to create a remarkable urban environment. For more information, visit www.DowntownDC.org.

About Washington Gas Energy Services
Washington Gas Energy Services, Inc. is one of the largest competitive providers of electricity and natural gas in the mid-Atlantic region and supplies over 335,000 customers in Maryland, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Pennsylvania and Virginia. Headquartered in Herndon, Va., Washington Gas Energy Services is an affiliate of Washington Gas and a subsidiary of WGL Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:WGL). For more information, visit www.WGES.com, or contact Leah Gibbons at 703-973-7565 (office), 301-509-1508 (cell), or LGibbons@wges.com.