The below letter was delivered to all the members of the Public Utilities subcommittee regarding support for H.3659, the “South Carolina Energy Freedom Act”
February 6, 2019
Re: H.3659, South Carolina Energy Freedom Act
Dear Representative,
The South Carolina Small Business Chamber of Commerce strongly encourages your support of H.3659, which will be on your Public Utilities Subcommittee agenda tomorrow.
We have long supported the increased use of alternative energy in our state because it creates jobs, enables ratepayers and utilities to reduce electricity costs and it helps reduce carbon emissions compared to coal and gas generation.
Let me give you my personal experience with the use of solar energy as an example of how I have been able to reduce the electric bill for my office building by using solar panels and net metering.
Since July of 2016 my electric bill for my 5,500 sq. ft. office building on Gervais Street in Columbia has been reduced on average 50.7% each month because of my solar installation and SCE&G’s net metering program. The results have been so excellent that we installed solar panels on our family dog kennel this past December. My personal residence is not a good candidate for solar panels due to tree coverage on our property.
H.3659 continues the process of insuring that both at the ratepayer and utility levels alternative energy, like solar, is being used to reduce electric bills and the cost of electricity. This is the future of energy in our state that will deliver great benefits to ratepayers, our economy and environment.
Thank you for your support of H.3659.
Sincerely,
Frank Knapp Jr.
President & CEO