Live 5 WCSC
September 16, 2024
State groups call for changes to Santee Cooper rate change proposal
CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) – More than two million South Carolinians who use Santee Cooper for power could see a change in rates next year.
The proposal is sparking a response from the state’s Small Business Chamber of Commerce and the Southern Alliance of Clean Energy. Both groups claim the adjustment lacks transparency and fairness to homeowners and small business owners.
The company’s board of directors say they are suggesting the move to invest in its electric system after impacts from inflation raised monthly bills by 32%. It would be the first base rate adjustment they have had since 2017.
Before that, Santee Cooper says base and fuel rates were locked in 2020 after a class action lawsuit related to a canceled nuclear plant expansion.
The lock ends in December.
Santee Cooper claims the new rate would give customers more flexibility over their monthly bill, charging 40% less for energy consumed and adding a $10-per-kilowatt demand charge. This time-based charge would apply during peak hours each month. In winter, that means early mornings. In summer, it would be late afternoons.
Santee Cooper proposes homeowners would have a 4.9% increase overall for retail customer classes and there would also be a 8.7% base increase, plus a 7% increase for fuel charges for residential customers.
Click here for more information on the proposal.
If it is approved, the rate adjustment would go into effect next April.
The groups believe the suggestion does not prioritize customer resources. With an existing Cook v Santee Cooper settlement, they say the total rate increase would be well over the 16% suggested by Santee Cooper. The groups say rates would increase to a total of 17% overall rather than the 4.9% Santee Cooper claims.
“They deserve a rate increase, but they need to be more transparent about it,” Small Business Chamber of Commerce President Frank Knapp says. “We can criticize and complain all we want. But if we can’t influence that board, they will do what they want. This might be a good time for the General Assembly to start thinking about, maybe we ought to make Santee Cooper go to the Public Service Commission.”
In response to the proposal, both the Chamber of Commerce and the Alliance for Clean Energy are asking for changes to the rate proposal that reduce the need for gas plants. The groups are also asking for a clarified explanation of the rate increases and the growth and management of resources which benefit the customer.
Santee Cooper will be hosting two public comment hearings on Tuesday. One will be at 1 p.m. at the Waccamaw Neck Library in Pawley’s Island. The second will be at 6 p.m. at the Santee Cooper Auditorium in Myrtle Beach.
https://www.live5news.com/2024/09/16/state-groups-call-changes-santee-cooper-rate-change-proposal/