Join us Tuesday, July 8 at Mount Pleasant Town Council to speak up in support of a balanced compromise for Highway 41. In 2020, Charleston County proposed widening Highway 41 to five lanes through the Phillips community but given concerns expressed by residents and advocacy from the Conservation League and our partners, it shelved that initial plan and designed a Compromise Alternative. This…
Three-part blog series by Spring 2025 Energy & Climate Intern Ava Ambroggio A key factor contributing to the disparity in success between Illinois’ Home Energy Savings (HES) program and Duke Energy’s Neighborhood Energy Saver (NES) and Dominion Energy’s Neighborhood Energy Efficiency Program (NEEP) appears to be significant differences in program funding. In 2023, HES operated with a yearly budget of $32 million. In contrast, Dominion and Duke Energy allocated approximately…
Three-part blog series by Spring 2025 Energy & Climate Intern Ava Ambroggio Recognizing the disproportionate energy burden that low-income communities experience, utilities offer programs to address inefficient energy consumption. Their programs often feature “direct install” measures, which are energy efficiency upgrades that the utility or its contractors install for free. The alternative is a loan or rebate program that requires cost sharing or upfront investment by participants. The…
Three-part blog series by Spring 2025 Energy & Climate Intern Ava Ambroggio An energy burden is the portion of a household’s annual income spent on home energy costs. Housing and energy experts recommend that households spend no more than 30 percent of their income on housing costs, with no more than 6 percent dedicated to energy expenses. For example, a household with a $75,000 annual income should spend no…
On Monday night, the Town of Ridgeland’s Planning Commission voted 3-2 in favor of the proposed “Special District” zoning for Tickton Hall. This upzoning would allow for 2,034 homes, 50 docks on Euhaw Creek, and 250,000 square feet of commercial space. Such a development could have major impacts to the environment and quality of life for Jasper and Beaufort County residents. Further, Highway 462 is already dealing with high traffic volumes, and…
SUBMIT YOUR COMMENTS You can tell the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management to not drill along the South Carolina coastline by submitting comments until June 16th. Recently, the federal government announced its resumed consideration of South Carolina for offshore drilling and will soon begin an evaluation of potential locations along our coastline. The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management is now accepting…
The future of Tickton Hall is hanging in the balance. We are counting on you to advocate for its protection. Tickton Hall, a 1,520-acre property formerly a part of Chelsea, is at risk of overdevelopment. Tickton Hall is located off Hwy. 462 and shares a 9,000-foot border with Euhaw Creek. Situated in a key wildlife corridor along the…
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As of today, the Chelsea property in Jasper County will be protected. This is a monumental win for conservation, rural land use planning and maintaining the character of Jasper County. Read more from the Post and Courier Over the past years, the Conservation League played a critical role in preventing this property from being annexed and intensely developed, partnering with, informing, and rallying community members to advocate against annexation, which would have…
The I-526 Mark Clark Extension project is officially no more! The I-526 Mark Clark Extension project is officially no more. The S.C. Transportation Infrastructure Bank Board voted unanimously yesterday to end the three-way funding contract. This is one of the final pieces to affirm the end of this destructive road project. Read more from the Post & Courier. After many years of community opposition, including voting down a sales tax that would have funded the…
