Retired coal plant's revival as natural gas station sparks debate across South Carolina - wpde.com

Retired coal plant's revival as natural gas station sparks debate across South Carolina

COLLETON COUNTY, S.C. (WCIV) — A retired coal-fired power plant in Colleton County may be revamped in the next decade.

The plant would be a joint station between Dominion Energy and Santee Cooper. It will function as a natural gas-powered energy generation station at the site of a former coal-powered facility. The plan is currently a proposal, but both utilities received approval in their 2023 comprehensive plans from state regulators to pursue the plant.

“We all want a cleaner generation mix in South Carolina," said Keller Kissam, president of Dominion Energy South Carolina. "This plant allows us to retire three coal-fired units that we currently have on our system. That's a cleaner energy mix for us, which is really important to us.”

State lawmakers are considering a bill that would bring a new natural gas plant to the retired Canadys station in Colleton County. It will be debated in the Statehouse on Tuesday. Sponsors of the bill say it’s a ten-year plan that’s a direct response to exponential growth in the state.

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“Which increases the demand on our electrical system, on the grid, on the reliability and on the generation side of it, which is a lot of where this bill focuses,” said Rep. Jay West, a sponsor. “This bill is there to make sure that we have reliable generation now, but that we also have generation in the future to meet the future demand that may be coming down the pipe.”

But the project has its critics.

Groups like the Conservation Voters of South Carolina (CVSC) are concerned with how this could impact the environment, citing its proximity to the Edisto River. Environmental groups fear it will impact the area’s drinking water and nearby ecosystems.

The group also worries about the possible total cost of the project, which hasn’t yet been disclosed, and said lawmakers are trying to rush the approval process.

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“The legislature has endorsed the project. It actually would short circuit a true review of this project by the Public Service Commission, which are the regulators tasked with reviewing projects to make sure they make the most sense for everyday ratepayers and that it can meet our needs in a cost-effective way,” said John Brooker, CVSC’s energy policy director.

Dominion Energy already has two natural gas plants in the state identical to this proposed one.

The company’s state president contends it'll reduce emissions from retiring three existing coal units and will increase and support more renewable types of energy.

"The best form of economic development you have are your existing industrial customers who are already providing jobs and contributing to the economy of South Carolina and have been doing it for decades,” Kissam said. “We want to shrink up and make our footprint as small as we possibly can."

If approved, Kissam said the plant would be up and running around 2030.

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