DC Water's Blue Plains plant generated 153,360 kWh of electricity a day in FY 2025 and used 680,160 kWh a day, according to the statistical section of DC Water's FY 2025 financial report. That is about 22.5%.
Three figures, three bases
DC Water's own web pages put the share differently. The Blue Plains page says the plant's thermal hydrolysis generates electricity equal to "approximately one quarter" of Blue Plains energy use. The Bailey Bioenergy Facility page says the facility generates up to 10 MW, "approximately one third" of the plant's energy needs. The pages are undated, and each uses a different base.
How the power is made
Bailey, commissioned in October 2015, uses thermal hydrolysis and anaerobic digestion on sewage solids. Besides electricity, it produces Class A Exceptional Quality biosolids, marketed as Bloom.
A saving still on paper
The Filtrate Treatment Facilities, built at a cost of about US$64 million, use a process DC Water says needs 60% less energy than mainstream treatment, with projected savings of more than US$8 million a year. The project was originally targeted for 2017 operation; its reactors were in use by mid-2021, according to a DC Water Board committee report.
A big plant to power
Blue Plains has a rated capacity of 384 million gallons a day and treats close to 300 million on average. The FY 2027 budget sets Wastewater Treatment capital at US$127.5 million, against US$83.2 million in the revised FY 2026 budget.
DC Water's finances, tariffs, governance and project pipeline, with the key figures in one place, are covered in the full report. The full report, Utility Intelligence Profile: DC Water, is available for USD 99. For a free overview, read the DC Water Utility Snapshot.