Santee Cooper
| Company type | State-owned utility |
|---|---|
| Industry | Electric and water services |
| Founded | 1934 |
| Headquarters | Moncks Corner , United States |
Area served | Berkeley, Georgetown, and Horry counties, South Carolina |
| Products | Electricity, Water |
| Parent | State of South Carolina |
Santee Cooper, formally known as the South Carolina Public Service Authority, is a state-owned utility in South Carolina providing electric and water services. It was created during the New Deal era as part of initiatives for rural electrification and public infrastructure development. The utility constructed hydroelectric dams and power facilities, resulting in the formation of two lakes and significant land clearing. Its main office is located in Moncks Corner, South Carolina.
Ranking among the largest electricity suppliers in South Carolina, Santee Cooper delivers power to more than 165,000 residential and commercial customers across Berkeley, Georgetown, and Horry counties. Its generation mix comprises coal, nuclear, oil, natural gas, hydroelectric, and renewable energy sources. The utility provides electricity to the municipalities of Bamberg and Georgetown, serves 30 major industrial clients, and powers Charleston Air Force Base. Additionally, Santee Cooper produces electricity that several South Carolina electric cooperatives distribute. Following the Nukegate scandal, the South Carolina General Assembly engaged in discussions regarding privatization or restructuring, ultimately enacting legislation to enhance regulatory oversight and governance of the utility.
Management
The governance of Santee Cooper is vested in a board of directors appointed by the governor and confirmed by the state Senate. The board includes members representing each congressional district and the three directly served counties; two members bring experience from electric cooperatives; the chairman is selected at-large.
In September 2017, CEO Lonnie Carter stepped down after the decision to abandon construction of two new AP1000 nuclear reactors at the Virgil C. Summer Nuclear Generating Station, which left Santee Cooper with roughly $4.4 billion in debt related to the unfinished project. Carter’s retirement compensation was estimated to exceed $800,000 annually. Between 2018 and 2020, legislative efforts concentrated on whether to privatize or reform Santee Cooper. Governor Henry McMaster advocated for a sale, labeling the utility a "rogue agency" due to its financial difficulties and operational independence. NextEra Energy, headquartered in Florida, submitted a purchase proposal but withdrew it in April 2021. Subsequently, in June 2021, the General Assembly enacted Act 90—a veto-proof statute reforming oversight while maintaining state ownership.
Post V.C. Summer Reform
Effective January 1, 2022, Act 90 of 2021 subjects Santee Cooper to regulation by the South Carolina Public Service Commission, which oversees public utilities statewide. This oversight encompasses integrated resource planning, modifications to service territories, siting and acquisition of facilities, power purchase agreements, and competitive procurement of renewable energy resources. Although rate-setting authority remains with Santee Cooper’s Board of Directors, rates are now subject to enhanced regulatory review.
The reform requires that all but one member of the ten-person Board be replaced by 2025. Board terms are shortened to four years with a maximum of three terms allowed. Additionally, severance payments are restricted. The procedure for selecting board members remains unchanged.
Santee Cooper Lakes
The 1939 initiative known as the Santee Cooper Power and Navigation Project significantly improved navigation and hydroelectric power capabilities along South Carolina's Santee and Cooper rivers. This endeavor resulted in the formation of Lake Marion and Lake Moultrie, aiming to enhance public health, recreational opportunities, and stimulate economic growth in the region. At the time, it represented the largest land-clearing operation in the United States, employing upwards of 12,500 laborers to remove vast expanses of swamp and forest terrain.
Key infrastructure comprised extensive dams and dikes—featuring structures like a tall earthen dike—and the Pinopolis Dam hydroelectric facility, which included the world's tallest single-lift navigation lock. Flood control was managed via a spillway equipped with 62 gates. The construction involved relocating 42 million cubic yards of soil and utilizing 3.1 million cubic yards of concrete.
Costing $48.2 million, funded by a combination of 55% federal loans and 45% grants, the project began supplying electricity on February 17, 1942. Power lines were extended to Berkeley, Georgetown, and Horry counties, as well as electric cooperatives spanning 46 counties.
The project caused ecological shifts by reversing salinity levels in the Cooper and Santee rivers, which affected local ecosystems and imposed challenges for landowners.
Power plants
| Name | Location | Capacity
(MW) |
Fuel Type | Annual Output
(GWh) |
CO2 Emissions
(Tons/Year) |
Scheduled Retirement |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Colleton | 3 | Solar | 4 (2019) | N/A | ||
| Cross | Lua error: callParserFunction: function "#coordinates" was not found. | 2,390 | Refined coal | 8,375 (2019) | 8,960,208 (2018) | |
| Rainey | Lua error: callParserFunction: function "#coordinates" was not found. | 1,102 | Natural gas | 5,582 (2019) | 2,261,698 (2018) | |
| Winyah | 1,260 | Refined coal | 1,583 (2019) | 1,582,699 (2018) | 2028 |
In addition to these facilities, Santee Cooper manages 28 MW of landfill gas generation capacity along with 74 MW derived from wood biomass. The utility has either operational or contracted renewable energy totaling 800 MW. It holds a one-third ownership stake in the Virgil C. Summer Nuclear Generating Station, with Dominion Energy controlling the remaining two-thirds.
Johns Island Transmission Project
Beginning in 2017, Santee Cooper collaborated with Dominion Energy to construct a 115kV transmission line connecting Johns Island to Queensboro in South Carolina. This 5.1-mile line represents the second transmission route serving Johns Island and has received necessary approvals from state regulatory bodies as well as the United States Army Corps of Engineers. The project utilizes approximately 2.2 miles of existing right-of-way and requires acquiring nearly 2.9 miles of new right-of-way.
The transmission corridor traverses sensitive wetlands including Simmons Creek and Murray Creek. Local community members have raised environmental concerns regarding potential impacts on wildlife habitats and marsh ecosystems. The option to install the line underground was estimated to cost around $30 million.
External links
- "Santee Cooper Company History" Santee Cooper, 2015
- "Santee Cooper Historical Overview" Santee Cooper Kids, 2003
- "Noise Concerns: Couple Attributes Health Problems to Electrical Substation" Charleston Post & Courier, May 25, 2013