As the temperatures start to rise, you can notice the first spring flowers making their debut. That means it’s time to enjoy our Eco-City with new activities.  Whether you’re prepping your garden, giving your bike a tune-up, or just enjoying the fresh air from finally being able to open those windows (and then maybe regretting that you opened them too soon), Spring is on the way. Take some time over the next month to explore something new about Eco-City Alexandria. Sign up for a Capital Bikeshare membership and move along our trails and bike lanes with ease on an e-bike. No yard for a garden?  Check out our Community Gardens! Spring cleaning mean you need some new things around the house? Our Eco-City Businesses are here to give you great products, good food, amazing service, and all while improving our environment and preserving Eco-City Alexandria. Get out, breathe in some fresh air, and enjoy Alexandria and everything we do to make it such a great place to live and visit. Earth Month is coming in April – so next month’s newsletter will have plenty to share.  

Ryan Freed, Climate Action Officer 

Eco-City Tip 

Half of an average home’s energy goes to heating and air conditioning. Taking action here can save you lots on your energy bills—and also keep out drafts, pests, and pollution! Start with an energy checkup. Dominion provides free virtual energy audits for their customers, and offers rebates for more in-depth assessments. Community House Partners has age- and income-qualifying programs for free home energy checkups and improvements. 

Bonus: conducting an energy checkup earns points towards recognition as an Eco-City Home! 

Visit the Eco-City Homes  webpage to learn more and join today.

Join Eco-City Homes for a FREE Smart Thermostat or Home Energy Kit 

The City of Alexandria is excited to announce that in partnership with EcoAction Arlington, for a limited time, everyone who submits an Eco-City Homes application can receive a FREE programmable, Wi-Fi enabled thermostat or home energy efficiency kit. That means lower energy bills, better home comfort, and the knowledge that you’re part of a sustainable Alexandria.  

Everyone is eligible! Whether you rent or own (condo owners included!), everyone is welcome to apply. Justy fill out the short online Eco-City Homes form (available for renters, condo owners, and homeowners). The application serves as a guide, providing a checklist of steps to create a healthy, efficient, and comfortable home.  

But don’t wait—incentives are only available while supplies last. 

If you have questions or would like help getting started, visit the Eco-City Homes website or contact Samantha Heitsch, Sustainability Coordinator, at Samantha.Heitsch@alexandriava.gov, 703.746.3776. 

Curbside Electric Vehicle Charging in Alexandria 

At the Saturday, February 21, 2026 public hearing, City Council approved a Curbside Electric Vehicle (EV) Charging program that will bring publicly accessible EV chargers to our neighborhood streets at no cost to the City.  

A study by the Electric Power Research Institute estimated that about 75% of charging occurs at home. For residents without a dedicated driveway or garage, or that live in a multi-family community, home charging isn’t always option. That gap can make driving an EV feel out of reach.  

The goal of this program is to help close that gap.  

Qualified vendors will be allowed to install publicly accessible curbside chargers throughout the City, giving more residents a convenient way to plug in close to home. Vendors are responsible for installation, maintenance, and customer service. 

Curbside chargers will have a minimalistic design and must meet siting and operational standards outlined in the program requirements.  

Up to 60 chargers may be installed during the first two years. After that initial period, the City will pause new approvals to evaluate performance data and gather community feedback before determining next steps. 

By expanding access to reliable charging, more Alexandrians can make the switch to an EV, which will help us reduce our carbon emissions and clean our air. 

Learn more about the curbside charging program and other City initiatives to increase EV adoption on the City’s webpage.

FREE EV Feasibility Assessments for Eco-City Businesses 

Have you been thinking about installing electric vehicle (EV) chargers for your customers? EV chargers are a great way to attract new customers, keep them on-site longer, and create an additional revenue stream. 

Eco-City Businesses can receive a FREE EV charging feasibility assessment from the City of Alexandria. Not an Eco-City Business yet? Join today for FREE on the Eco-City Business webpage. It only takes two minutes! 

To participate, you must be an Eco-City Business with access to off-street parking (owner approval required if you don’t own the parking area).  

Applications are open until Tuesday, March 31, 2026 but are reviewed in the order in which they are submitted, with priority given to businesses that own their parking areas. Apply today! 

Ellen Pickering Environmental Excellence Award is Open for 2026 Nominations 

Nominations for the 2026 Ellen Pickering Environmental Excellence Award are open now until Monday, March 16, 2026. Residents can nominate individuals, organizations, or businesses in Alexandria who display exceptional environmental leadership in the community. The award will be presented to this year’s recipient at the Del Ray GardenFest on Sunday, April 26, 2026, as a part of the City’s Earth Month celebration. 

The Ellen Pickering Award was founded to honor the legacy of Ellen Pickering, former City councilmember and AlexRenew board member, whose lifelong dedication to preservation and conservation in Alexandria shaped the city for decades to come. Nominees should represent this spirit of environmental advocacy and stewardship, which can include protection of natural resources, energy conservation, education outreach, and more. A strong nomination includes measurable impacts, the duration of efforts, and community engagement. 

Submissions must include the nominee’s name, address, and telephone number, or the key individual to contact if the nominee is a group, club, or business. Self-nominations are welcomed and encouraged. 

For more information on the rubric and nomination requirements visit  Earth Day webpage.  

Alexandria Health Department Shares Recreational Water Advisory Issued for the Potomac River 

On Friday, February 13, 2026, the Virginia Department of Health (VDH) issued a Recreational Water Advisory for Virginia residents. For the safety of people and pets, VDH is advising Virginia residents to avoid recreational water activities in the Potomac River, such as swimming, wading, tubing, white-water canoeing or kayaking, where full-body submersion is more likely to occur. 

The advisory is being issued out of an abundance of caution due to a sewage spill in the Potomac River that occurred on Monday, January 19, 2026, and subsequent reports of a sewage discharge on Saturday, February 7, 2026. The timeline for the repair is estimated to be four to six weeks.  The advisory area extends for 72.5 miles from the American Legion Memorial Bridge (I-495) in Fairfax County to the Governor Harry W. Nice Memorial Bridge (Route 301) in King George County. 

For updates on the repair status, visit DC Water. For updates on Virginia impacts and to find links to the Maryland and DC agencies responding to this incident, please visit Virginia Department of Health. 

COMING SOON: Funding Opportunity for Community-Based Organizations to Advance Sustainability and Environmental Justice 

Next month, the City of Alexandria will be accepting applications for the Eco-City Advocates Grant, a funding opportunity designed to support community-based organizations (CBOs) advancing sustainability, environmental justice, and community wellbeing.  

This grant will be open to organizations that: 

• Are located in the City of Alexandria
• Serve frontline communities
• Preferably provide multilingual support and outreach
• Lead local initiatives that create meaningful and lasting community impact 

The grant announcement will be available on the Eco-City webpage in March.  

Eco-City Homes & Go Electric DMV: Trivia Takeover at Port City 

The Office of Climate Action took over a round of trivia alongside nonprofit Go Electric DMV at Port City Brewing Company (a Gold Eco-City Business) on Thursday, February 19, 2026, to spark some friendly competition while sharing information about ways to be sustainable and electrify homes.  

If you missed trivia night, we have a bonus question for you: What is the best way Alexandrians can show their personal commitment to achieving the City's sustainability goals?  

A: Sign up for Eco-City Homes!  

Photo credit goes to Bob Soule.

Staff Highlight 

Isis Covington, Policy and Social Impact Analyst for the Race and Social Equity Office in the City Manager's Office.  

How would you describe your role? Our office believes that an equitable city makes an excellent city, and that absolutely involves the need to have a city that address environmental racism and climate concerns. My role in helping to make Alexandria an Eco-City is to help investigate and advance City policies that address our short and long-term climate and environmental concerns. 

What are you most excited about? I am most excited about pushing forward policies that center our staff and residents’ well-being- especially our physical well-being- from the air we breathe to how we literally move and live in the City.  

Mind sharing a fun fact about yourself? A fun fact about myself is that I am a burgeoning art collector! I am always looking for new local artists to support and buy from. 

Eco-City Business Spotlight 

UpCycle Creative Reuse Center doesn’t just work to reduce waste—they help people turn it into art. Executive Director Kathryn Amberg described their Materials Center on South Dove Street as “a hub of conservation-meets-creativity, where people can go to donate items, shop for materials, learn about creative reuse, and get inspired to create.”  

“We collect donations of unwanted materials and post-consumer items, which we redistribute to our community at our retail shop and use as learning materials in our program work and community outreach.” Amberg shared. It’s a “place to bring certain things [people] might otherwise toss. Soda can tabs, bread ties, wine corks, a pack of coffee filters that don’t work with your new machine – the list goes on!” 

For UpCycle, being an Eco-City Business means that they “are proud to be leading by example, and that being sustainable doesn’t have to be complicated or overwhelming.” They aim to help engage the community in everyday sustainability, because “when a person feels engaged that’s when their behavior starts to shift and real change takes place.” 

Visit UpCycle at 2397 S Dove St. to browse the store, donate items, or get crafty at a workshop! 

AlexRenew Board of Directors Finance and Audit Committee Meeting - Tuesday, March 3, 2026 • 5:30-7:30 p.m. 

Planning Commission Public Hearing - Tuesday, March 3, 2026 • 7:00 -11:59 p.m. 

Board of Architectural Review Public Hearing - Wednesday, March 4, 2026 • 7:00 -11:59 p.m. 

Housing Affordability Advisory Committee (Virtual) - Thursday, March 5, 2026 • 7:00 -9:00 p.m. 

Environmental Planning Commission -  Monday, March 16, 2026 • 7:30 – 9:30 p.m. 

Waterfront Commission Meeting - Tuesday, March 17, 2026 • 7:30-9:30 a.m. 

Planning & Zoning Virtual Community Update - Tuesday, March 17, 2026 • 6:00 -7:00 p.m. 

AlexRenew Regular Board of Directors Meeting - Tuesday, March 17, 2026 • 6:00 - 8:00 p.m. 

Stormwater Utility and Flood Mit. Advisory Group - Wednesday, March 18, 2026 • 7:00 -9:00 p.m. 

Board of Architectural Review Public Hearing - Wednesday, March 18, 2026 • 7:00 -11:59 p.m. 

ARHA Redevelopment Work Group - Thursday, March 19, 2026 • 5:30 -7:00 p.m. 

Park & Recreation Commission - Thursday, March 19, 2026 • 7:00 - 9:00 p.m. 

Alexandria Redevelopment and Housing Authority Regular Meeting - Monday, March 23, 2026 • 7:00 -9:00 p.m. 

Alexandria Transit Company Stockholders Meeting - Tuesday, March 24, 2026 • 6:00  -6:30 p.m.