Electricity is a fixture in our daily lives and is a vital part of commerce and industry. Its production and distribution also have vast environmental footprints, but new technologies, fuel sources, and strategies for meeting demand hold great promise for minimizing these impacts while supporting a thriving economy.
Today, families and businesses have many opportunities to save money by investing in efficiency upgrades and by using technology to reduce energy consumption. The cost of solar and other renewable energy technologies has declined in recent years. Growing markets for energy efficiency and renewable energy also have the potential to create tens of thousands of jobs across our state.
Taking advantage of these opportunities will require effective long-term planning. Each year, South Carolina’s investor-owned electric utilities and Santee Cooper must submit updated 15-year plans for meeting electricity demand in their service territories, based on analyses of the economic and environmental impacts of different resource choices. It is critical that these analyses are comprehensive and accurately capture the costs and benefits of South Carolina’s energy options. The Conservation League will continue to engage with electric sector regulators and stakeholders in South Carolina on ways to enhance existing resource planning procedures, so that our citizens and businesses have access to reliable, low-cost energy while safeguarding our unique natural resources and quality of life.