Embattled electricity provider Santee Cooper may have just been given a new lifeline by S.C. House Rep. Heather Ammons Crawford and Senator Luke Rankin.
Rankin and Crawford have introduced bills that will require electric cooperatives, like Horry Electric, to go through a state mandated procurement process ultimately requiring them to purchase electricity from the financially distraught Santee Cooper.
As MyrtleBeachSC News reported, Santee Cooper owed $13.79 billion principal and interest in total corporate debt in 2021. This from a failed nuclear power facility effort. The public utility is owned by the State of S.C.
Under duress, Senator Luke Rankin created an enemies list and fought off a buyout offer by Dominion Energy of that same time period.
In 2021, needing a cash infusion, Santee Cooper asked the State legislature for an additional $150 million in new funding.
INHERENT CONFLICTS
State Representative Heather Ammons Crawford also works for U.S. Congressman Russell Fry.
Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce related Political Consultant, Walter Whetsell met with Horry County’s local cooperative recently, and speaking publicly, asked for donations to the Fry campaign.
One Horry Electric member we reached out to this morning asked our news team, “If we make the necessary campaign contributions, does Representative Crawford’s bill go away?”
The bills are just now being introduced.
THE BILLS AS THEY CURRENTLY READ
H 4048 General Bill, By Crawford, West, Davis, Erickson, W. Newton, Bannister, Hiott, Hixon and Sandifer Similar (S 0523) A BILL TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY AMENDING SECTION 58-37-40, RELATING TO INTEGRATED RESOURCE PLANS, SO AS TO PROVIDE THAT CENTRAL ELECTRIC POWER COOPERATIVE MUST SUBMIT ALL PROPOSED CONTRACTS OR OTHER PLANS FOR THE PROCUREMENT OF ELECTRIC GENERATION TO THE JOINT BOND REVIEW COMMITTEE, THE STATE REGULATION OF PUBLIC UTILITIES REVIEW COMMITTEE, AND THE PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION OF SOUTH CAROLINA PRIOR TO EXECUTION. 02/28/23 House Introduced and read first time HJ-9
S 0523 General Bill, By Rankin, Alexander, Peeler, Setzler and Hutto Similar (H 4048) A BILL TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY AMENDING SECTION 58-37-40 SO AS TO PROVIDE THAT CENTRAL ELECTRIC POWER COOPERATIVE MUST SUBMIT ALL PROPOSED CONTRACTS OR OTHER PLANS FOR THE PROCUREMENT OF ELECTRIC GENERATION TO THE JOINT BOND REVIEW COMMITTEE, THE STATE REGULATION OF PUBLIC UTILITIES REVIEW COMMITTEE, AND THE PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION OF SOUTH CAROLINA PRIOR TO EXECUTION. 02/09/23 Senate Introduced and read first time SJ-10 02/09/23 Senate Referred to Committee on Judiciary SJ-10 02/15/23 Scrivener’s error corrected