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…
Category: South Carolina
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…
During the process of gathering information for this project, Santee Cooper was asked several times for information on involuntary electricity terminations for their service area. That information was never made available. The private utilities operating within South Carolina have the information publicly available on their websites. Santee Cooper does not have a visible organizational structure,…
People are getting interested in solar. They are interested in producing their own energy, reducing the energy bill, and taking another step in reclaiming self-sustainability. According to a 2015 article in Fortune, the Solar Energy Industry Association (SEIA) reported, “[m]ore solar panels were installed on U.S. home rooftops in the first quarter of [the] year than ever…
Environmental justice is the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race, color, national origin, or income, with respect to the development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and policies. People have an equal right to a healthy environment to live, learn, and work. Consensus can be difficult when defining shared…
The Waccamaw Indians fought for federal recognition up until 2005 when they became South Carolina’s first recognized tribe. Federal recognition honors the tribes’ inherent rights of self-government, tribal sovereignty, and they are entitled to receive federal benefits, services, and protections because of their special relationship with the United States. In June 2006, the United Nations Declaration…
Many jobs along the Grand Strand are seasonal with unemployment fluctuating as much as 4 percent between January and June. Those who work seasonal jobs must save earnings over the tourist season in order to support the household through the winter. Unfortunately, energy bills are at their highest in the winter months when unemployment is…
Proponents of offshore oil and gas exploration affirm oil spills are unlikely to happen. According to a report from British Petroleum in 2009, if a spill were to occur, adverse effects to the environment would not be expected. One year later, in 2010, Deepwater Horizon happened, a large, deep water oil spill that gushed “4.9 million…
The reality is chasing sunlight to get work finished and not having electricity consistently available is not out of the norm for the rest of the world. 17 percent of the world’s population currently lives without electricity. That is almost unimaginable for the majority of Americans because, as a nation, the U.S. uses 25 percent of…