A Board of Directors is “appointed by the governor, deemed fully qualified by the Senate Public Utilities Review Committee and confirmed by the state Senate.” Among the 12 Santee Cooper board members, seven members are involved in investment, business, or insurance and are not involved in energy-related matters, two are involved in law, and two have…
Category: Affordability
A utility has different power loads that feed into the energy grid. Baseload power is the most reliable energy source that meets the minimum demand, there is also a peak load that meets spikes in energy demand. Natural gas is often used to meet the energy demand spikes because it does not take long to…
In 2014, South Carolina’s average utility bill for residential customers was $147.74 making it the 2nd highest utility bill next to Hawaii which has an average of $187.59. Massachusetts has low energy consumption compared to South Carolina. One of the factors for this being “state efficiency programs” among other things like: “state economy’s reliance on…
Energy return on investment (EROI) is a term used in the economics of energy production to help determine costs of an energy source based on the amount of energy that will be produced versus the dollar amount that is spent to extract and use the energy. This data is looked at by governments so that…
Quick Facts on Solar Affordability: The cost of a solar panel lease is about $700 a year The Federal government reimburses up to 30% of installation costs South Carolina has tax incentives up to 25% $18k in “profit” for SC residents in 15 years by adding tax credits and electricity savings over this period Costs…
Nuclear energy currently provides 51% of the total energy used in South Carolina. The majority is produced and used by Duke Energy, as nuclear currently makes up 56.8% of Duke’s total energy production. SCE&G aims to have 30% of the total energy generated come from nuclear by the year 2020 (current energy percentages of SCE&G…
Myrtle Beach is one of the second fastest growing metro areas percentage wise in the United States from July 1, 2013 to July 1, 2014. Population estimates can be attributed to rapid development on the coast and deforestation of suburban and rural areas. According to the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), the…
Of a population numbering 4,625,364 there are 2,163,109 persons gainfully employed in South Carolina. These persons are divided into industries, 7 of which make up portions larger than 5%: education, sales, administration, production, transportation, healthcare, and the food services each compose a minimum of 100,000 jobs in South Carolina. All of these job demographics rely…
In 1905, the first Hydroelectric plant was established in 1904. In the 1960’s, electricity became available to almost everyone, even sharecroppers. The early slew of hydroelectric plants brought stable and reliable energy to the state up until World War II. In the 1950’s, natural gas and coal plants were added. In addition, Nuclear power was…
The ancient Waccamaw were river dwellers and inhabited the riverbanks from Lake Waccamaw, North Carolina all the way to Winyah Bay near Georgetown, South Carolina. They may have even been one of the first mainland Natives introduced to Europeans, demonstrating their journey began long before they were officially recognized. The Europeans nearly wiped out the…