Featured Image Source: Andrew Whitaker, Post & Courier
Last week the South Carolina Senate created a new committee to help decide the future of Santee Cooper.
This decision comes just one week after S.C. Senate President Harvey Peeler decided not to move forward with ICF Consulting, the consulting firm vetting and researching the offers received for the state-owned utility.
The State reported that the new Senate “Select Committee” will work separately from the legislative committee studying ICF’s recommendations and will focus on reviewing all options for the utility. Other options include an outside firm coming in to manage the utility, long-term power agreements, or structural reforms.
Senate Majority Leader Shane Massey and Senate Minority Leader Nikki Setzler will co-chair the new committee. Both senators previously led the committee that investigated the failed nuclear reactors that helped create the massive $8 billion debt.
According to The State, Santee Cooper’s direct-serve customers will possibly have to pay around $6,200 more per household in higher rates over the next four decades and their co-op customers will have to pay $4,200 more per household to pay off the debt created by the failed Santee Cooper V.C. summer project.
Read more from The State here.