The South Carolina Senate has placed S.678 for debate Tuesday, April 23rd.  

It calls for the SC Department of Administration to conduct competitive bidding for the sale of Santee Cooper., evaluate proposals and recommend to the Senate Finance and House Ways and Means Committees the bid that best meeys the interest of the state, its taxpayers and the ratepayers of Santee Cooper.  

The legislature would vote on the sale.

SC Small Business Chamber CEO Frank napp says his group supports the sale if it can achieve these goals:  

1. Eliminate $7-$8 billion of Santee Cooper’s debt ($4 billion due to the failed nuclear project) so that ratepayers will never be responsible for paying off that debt.  
   Santee Cooper direct customer are already paying 5% higher rates for the debt and the utility plans to raise rates another 7% starting in less than 2 years. Without a sale, a customer’s rate will be 12% higher than needed and they will pay between $6,200-$7,400 over the next 30 years for the debt.  
2. Eliminating the debt will protect the ratepayers of the state’s 20 electric cooperatives from paying about $4,200 over 30 years for Santee Cooper’s debt.
3. The fast retirement of Santee Cooper’s aging coal plants and transition to less costly renewable energy and new generation gas plants. Reducing the utility’s carbon pollution is a top priority to fight climate change that is resulting in rising seas and flooding.
4. A plan to protect the local economies and employees impacted by a sale.

Contact these key Senators below with this message:

"Please vote for S.678 to establish a process for considering the sale of Santee Cooper to a private utility. The sale must eliminate the nearly $8 billion debt from responsibility of the ratepayers, set a fast timeline for retiring the coal plants and plan for protecting local economies and employees impacted by the sale."

Sen. Shane Massey  shanemassey@scsenate.org  (803) 212-6330
Sen. Katrina Shealy  katrinashealy@scsenate.gov  (803) 212-6320
Sen, Dick Harpootlian  dickharpootlian@scsenate.gov  (803)-212-6008