Energy bill is a giant leap backward. SC deserves better. | Opinion
The South Carolina House of Representatives passed House Bill 5118 last month, ignoring the thousands of messages they received from constituents across the state about the negative impacts of this bill on the cost of energy, the rights of property owners, and the state’s natural resources and environment.
There’s no shortage of terrible provisions within this piece of legislation, including, but not limited to, authorizing and endorsing a gas megaproject on the banks of the Edisto River in Colleton County despite undisclosed project costs and impacts, rendering the South Carolina Consumer Advocate ineffective by removing its independence and ability to advocate solely for residential customers, and including provisions that would make it nearly impossible for property owners to challenge eminent domain cases.
Not only did our representatives refuse to listen to constituents on these terrible provisions, they also refused to acknowledge the independent study prepared at the request of the Public Service Commission that raised concerns that Santee Cooper is not adequately considering cheaper and cleaner alternatives.
Why are we paying for expert advice and completely ignoring it?
Tom Ervin, a former member of the state Public Service Commission, has said this bill would jeopardize the way the commission conducts regulatory oversight of utilities put in place to protect the public interest after the failed V.C. Summer expansion project in 2017 that cost and continues to cost customers billions of dollars through increased utility bills.
South Carolinians have some of the highest electric bills in the nation. In just the past two years, many S.C. customers saw their electric bills spike nearly 20%, largely due to volatile natural gas prices. This bill would pin our future to risky and expensive gas megaprojects that would continue to burden families and businesses in this state.
This bill could also force South Carolinian property owners to give up land that has been in their families for generations, with their only option being to appeal these property rights issues to the S.C. Supreme Court in an expedited briefing. The Supreme Court isn’t set up to handle this kind of fact-finding court case. This makes it increasingly difficult for rural and economically disadvantaged community members to have their concerns heard and private property protected.
According to the Environmental Polling Consortium, a group that collects, interprets and distributes polling data on climate and environmental issues, 70% of voters across the U.S. agree that fossil fuel companies have too much influence on government decisions. This bill would remove safeguards put in place to hold power companies accountable while hindering our rights and negatively impacting our land and environment.
According to the economic impact statement for HB 5118, the bill would also result in upwards of $20 million extra in expenses for entities like the Office of Regulatory Staff, the University of South Carolina, the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control, and the Department of Commerce.
The bottom line is that we deserve better as a state. This bill is a gigantic leap backwards and ties us to a multi-decade investment in expanded fossil fuel infrastructure. With this bill currently under consideration in the S.C. Senate, we must ensure our concerns are not ignored again. Our legislators must vote on behalf of their constituents, not on behalf of greedy power companies.
William Kee is a retired psychologist and a volunteer with Conservation Voters of South Carolina.
