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: Industry and Development
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…
South Carolina is known for its beaches and nice weather but recently has been getting attention for the abundance of forested land. The state has so much wood that the timber industry is comparable in profit to the booming tourist industry. Timber brings in 18.6 billion dollars with tourism bringing in slight more at $19.1…
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…
Ecosystem services are processes by which the environment or nature provides us with resources that are often taken for granted. For example, how much it would cost to purify the air we breathed day in and day out? We cannot accurately estimate how much these services cost. Another ecosystem service is farming and using the…
The Clean Power Plan (CPP) is designed to limit future carbon pollution from power plants. It emphasizes the relationship between the federal government and state governments in sharing the responsibilities and authority of implementing and enforcing changes. It showcases the various perspectives and lessons states have used to lessening carbon emissions and presents facts to…
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…
On November 10th, 2014, the city of Pawleys Island passed an ordinance that would formally oppose the “placement of any wind turbines in any location where the turbines, or any part of the turbines, are visible, day or night, from thirty feet above mean high water at any point within the town of Pawleys Island.” This…