The Langston Dwellings comprised the first public housing project in the District — and were among the first in the nation — when they were constructed in the late 1930s.
The coal plant that powered the Dwellings’ nearly 300 units until the '80s is still located on the historic site, though no longer used. And it’s now being rethought as a possible source for renewable energy, thanks to a grant from the
first Sustainable D.C. Budget Challenge.
“We all knew we had the infrastructure to do something cool and creative and explore the options to produce energy,” said R. Denise Everson, a redevelopment project specialist with the D.C. Housing Authority.
Her agency received $245,000 to explore redeveloping the now defunct coal plant into something that could produce renewable energy.
The Langston Feasibility Team has looked at all sorts of options over the past year, from solar energy to geothermal. The team considered using biogases or building a fuel cell that would produce energy without pollution as opposed to fossil fuels, among other ideas.
A mix of electric and natural gas sources currently power the project, which operates as a conventional public housing site. Of its nearly 300 units, 274 are part of the Langston Terrace, which is known for the artwork that decorates its International-style buildings.
Everson said the Langston Dwellings are listed on the National Register of Historic Places, so changes to the exterior of the power plant may present challenges. But the team doesn’t think historic restrictions will limit the possibilities.
DCHA “is not leaning toward any one renewable (energy) option,” said Everson, who is a
LEED-accredited professional with a particular passion for green housing projects. “We need to figure out what the community is going to be receptive to.”
The final phase of the feasibility project funded by the grant includes engaging the community about what residents would like to see in the project and educating them about renewable energy in general.
The Housing Authority has presented about the project at neighborhood meetings and hosted tours of other green energy projects for local students.
While the project is unique to this site, Everson said the feasibility study could likely be extrapolated to other housing projects in the city.
If the oldest housing project in the city can be outfitted with renewable energy, she said, it’s likely others can as well.