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Hotlist: April 7, 2025

Hey friends!

Last week at the Statehouse brought plot twists, progress, and a whole lot of energy (literally). From a marathon Senate session that reshaped South Carolina’s energy future to a surprise vote and water planning—here’s your insider look at the wins, worries, and what’s next on the path to a cleaner, more sustainable state.

Senate strikes a better balance on energy bill H.3309

After hours of debate from Tuesday until very late Wednesday night, the Senate passed H.3309 with a vote of 41-3. Senators proposed roughly 30 amendments and made sweeping changes that brought much more balance to a very utility-friendly and environmentally dangerous bill. Here’s our breakdown of the good, the bad, and the bottom line. 

The Good:

  • Restores oversight, accountability, key environmental protections. A raft of amendments removed dangerous provisions from the bill that would have effectively dismantled regulatory oversight and public scrutiny of utilities at the Public Service Commission (PSC) to the detriment of customers and the environment. These changes protect safeguards and transparency established after V.C. Summer. Senators also removed provisions that would have jeopardized the integrity of SC’s permitting system by addressing glaring loopholes and other changes that threaten key environmental protections. 
  • Preserves competition and clean energy. Senators struck provisions that would have blocked clean energy competition, including limits on solar contracts and added barriers for small projects—ensuring South Carolinians can access affordable clean energy.
  • Holding utilities accountable on energy efficiency. Senators included stronger measures to hold utilities accountable for reducing energy waste. The provision builds on the House version by requiring utilities to meet a minimum energy savings benchmark through efficiency programs with consequences for noncompliance. This can help SC improve our position as one of the least energy-efficient states in the nation.   
  • Protecting customers from paying for new data center energy needs. Senator Massey and Campsen introduced new protections to ensure existing electric customers are not paying for the energy needs of new data centers in their energy bills through new directions to the PSC on ensuring customers protections and limitations on incentives for data centers. These protections parallel legislative language from Georgia.   

The Bad 

  • Still authorizes Dominion and Santee Cooper to collaborate on constructing a natural gas megaproject in Canadys, SC. A major concern. However, language now leaves the final decision on this facility up to regulators at the Public Service Commission without a thumb on the scale from legislators. 
  • Allows utilities to raise customer rates every year outside of the traditional rate case process through the Electric Rate Stabilization Act. We still have significant concerns about how this will affect electric customers and utility investment decisions. An additional amendment by Senator Ott requires an evaluation of the customer impacts of this new process in five years.  

The bottom line is that our voices were heard. Thanks to significant advocacy efforts and key improvements made along the way, this bill represents a more balanced outcome for South Carolina ratepayers and the environment than originally proposed. The House will now decide whether to send the bill to the Governor or continue negotiations. We’ll keep you informed on the next steps. Thank you for standing with us as we push for a cleaner, more affordable, and reliable energy future for South Carolina.

P.S. On Thursday, the Senate narrowly passed S.12 by a 25-18 vote. This standalone, one-page bill would authorize Dominion and Santee Cooper to move forward with a new natural gas plant in Canadys, SC. Its passage gives the Senate a potential backup vehicle that prioritizes the gas plant without the broader improvements we’ve fought hard to secure. We have serious concerns about S.12 because it lacks the critical reforms needed to ensure a more affordable, transparent, and sustainable energy future. 

We’ll continue tracking how this development could shape the final outcome of energy reform this session—stay tuned for ways to stay involved.

WaterSC update 

The Surface Water Study Committee convened last Thursday to receive a quarterly update on the progress of WaterSC, a statewide initiative established to develop a comprehensive state water plan for South Carolina. Governor McMaster created WaterSC in September 2024 by issuing Executive Order 2024-22 to update South Carolina’s water plan, balancing economic and environmental needs amidst rapid growth. 

During the study committee meeting, WaterSC Chair, Myra Reese, highlighted diverse stakeholder involvement, with sectors such as public water supply, agriculture, business, tourism, conservation, and historical and cultural representatives. She also highlighted the group’s recent focus on groundwater and conjunctive use, topics further elaborated on by various industry stakeholders who provided testimonies during the meeting. 

While many industry representatives expressed confidence in the current water management plan and its current implementation, at CVSC, we believe that that stronger safeguards are necessary to effectively manage our water resources. Specifically, we advocate for shorter permit lengths to enable more responsive adaptation to an evolving and changing environment. Additionally, we maintain that extending the permitting system to encompass all water users is crucial for comprehensive and sustainable water resource management in South Carolina. CVSC remains committed to monitoring WaterSC’s progress and advocating for the responsible management of our vital water resources.

An archive of last Thursday’s Committee meeting is available for viewing here.

WaterSC’s work involves monthly stakeholder and agency meetings and public listening sessions to gather a wide range of perspectives. Their studies encompass water planning history, conjunctive use, agency priorities, and the management of both surface and groundwater. While the initial report deadline was extended to March 2, 2026, WaterSC will also provide quarterly progress reports to the Committee. 

For those interested in participating in these discussions, three upcoming listening sessions will be held across the state on April 8th, 9th, and 10th.

Action Center

Here’s a round-up of current actions you can take to help us advance conservation policy during this legislative session. If you’ve already taken these actions, thank you! We’ll add more actions and provide updates as progress unfolds.

In the News

The Legislative Hotlist is an update from our Government Relations Manager, Alan Lee. Sign up for emails to get the Hotlist delivered directly to your inbox!

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