Hotlist: March 24, 2025
Hey friends!
After an intense budget week, the House took a furlough, meaning no general body meetings and only a handful of committee meetings last week. While things were quiet on the House side, the Senate was anything but—both in conservation and beyond. One of the biggest debates of the week centered around a tort reform bill, which kept the Senate in session late into Tuesday night.
Below, we’ll dive into the status of two key energy bills we’re tracking (S.446 and H.3309) and highlight other important developments in the conservation world.
Let’s get into the details!
Senate moves House Energy Bill forward
The Senate Judiciary subcommittee took testimony from utilities on the controversial energy bill, H.3309. The subcommittee then adopted an amendment implementing minor changes. The amended bill was advanced to the full Senate Judiciary Committee where Senators expressed they are planning to make additional changes.
As the Senate works to amend this bill further, it’s essential that they prioritize affordable, clean, and resilient energy solutions. Visit our Action Center below where you can click to call or email your Senator, asking them to make major changes to this harmful bill!
Phone calls are a great way to communicate the urgency of your request. If you’d like to call your Senator, we recommend that you prepare a short script to stay on track and ensure you cover your main points. Once you’re ready, find our click-to-call advocacy form below and click ‘Call me.’ You’ll receive a phone call that will connect you with your legislator after a short message from our staff. Feel free to contact [email protected] with questions.
Clashes over the ‘Automatic Rate Increase Act’
The Senate Judiciary Subcommittee also advanced the Automatic Rate Increase Act, S.446, to the full Senate Judiciary Committee. This bill would allow utilities to raise customer rates every year outside of the traditional rate case process, with minimal oversight and no public input!
This legislation would also permit utilities to charge customers for the financing costs for new power plants and other projects while they are still under construction—a practice that contributed to the $9 billion V.C. Summer nuclear project failure under the Baseload Review Act (2007).
At the Senate hearing, CVSC testified against the bill, emphasizing the risks to affordability and the lack of incentives for responsible utility management. Allowing utilities to adjust rates based on their earnings could discourage cost-effective solutions like renewable energy and energy efficiency, ultimately burdening customers with higher costs and a dirtier grid. Stay tuned for ways to get involved!
Highlights
- Energy
- Subcommittee advanced this legislation that rolls back oversight in furtherance of fossil fuel power to the full committee where amendments are expected. Visit our Action Center below where you can click to call or email your Senator, asking them to make major changes to this harmful bill!
- Despite CVSC and other partners testifying against the ‘Automatic Rate Increase’ Act, Chairman Senator Rankin advanced the bill to the full Senate Judiciary Committee. We are expecting to see a committee hearing as early as next week. Stay tuned for ways to get involved!
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.
- Click-to-call: Call on your Senator to protect SC, not utility profits
- Email: Tell Your Senator to Reject Harmful Provisions in H.3309
- Ask Your Legislators to Support Transfer of Development Rights
- Ask Your Legislators to Support Concurrent Infrastructure Requirements
In the News
Commentary: Turning the Public Service Commission into the Utility Service Commission | South Carolina Daily Gazette
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!