Hotlist: March 31, 2025
Hey friends!
Last week reminded our team why we work so hard during the legislative off-season to lay groundwork for our top conservation priorities. Weeks like this are when your advocacy is heard the most throughout the statehouse grounds. Simply put, it’s go time.
This week is the start of our floor fight on dangerous energy bill H.3309 in the Senate. Tomorrow’s debate will shape South Carolina’s energy sector for decades to come. Our team understands the urgency and gravity of the moment and we hope you’ll join us in fighting for an energy bill that benefits ratepayers and the environment, not utilities’ pockets.
Keep reading for details on how we got here and what’s to come.
🚨Dangerous House Energy Bill (H.3309) on Senate floor! 🚨
Senators will debate the dangerous House Energy Bill 3309 this week. The legislation still blocks competition from low cost solar projects and rolls back crucial consumer and environmental protections to further risky utility megaprojects. This bill is moving fast, but Senators have indicated substantial amendments are still possible this week. Now’s our chance—contact your Senator today!
After quickly advancing through the Senate subcommittee with only minor changes, H.3309 was passed by the Judiciary Committee last week. During the committee discussion, members considered positive amendments—such as closing permitting loopholes and removing restrictions in the bill that effectively block new solar development—but these amendments narrowly failed. While disappointing, some lawmakers indicated they would continue advocating for beneficial amendments when the bill is debated on the Senate floor this week.
This is a crucial opportunity (and likely our last) to remove harmful provisions from the bill and add language promoting affordable clean energy and energy efficiency. Visit our Action Center below to contact your Senator today—and remember, pairing a phone call with an email is the most impactful way to make your voice heard!
S.288 moves to full committee!
S.288, the Transferable Development Rights (TDR) bill, received a favorable report and successfully passed out of the Judiciary Subcommittee on Thursday morning, moving it to the full committee for further consideration. As a reminder, TDR programs are market-based tools that empower local governments to thoughtfully manage growth and conservation efforts. CVSC Land, Water, Ocean Project Manager, Zach Bjur, testified in support of the bill, highlighting its potential to protect valuable natural resources and manage growth effectively across the state. You can view the full hearing, including Zach’s testimony at minute 3:30, here. This positive step signifies growing recognition of the need for innovative land preservation tools in South Carolina.
Highlights
- Energy
- After H.3309 advanced through the committee process with minimal changes, the dangerous energy bill has been set on ‘special order’, meaning the Senate will prioritize debate on this issue this week. This bill still threatens our environment and captive electric customers by effectively blocking cost-effective clean energy projects and eroding oversight and accountability of monopoly utilities. This might be our last chance to remove harmful provisions from the bill, call and email your Senator today!
- Elections for Commissioners on the Public Service Commission (PSC) continue, with candidates for Congressional Districts 2, 4, and 6 submitting their names last Friday. The final vote could take place as early as May 1! Find all the details on our uPowerSC website, and stay tuned for updates on how you can get involved. Contact [email protected] with any questions.
- Land, Water, Ocean
- S.288, the Transferable Development Rights bill, received a favorable report and successfully passed out of the Judiciary Subcommittee on Thursday morning, moving it to the full committee for further consideration. Our Land, Water, Ocean Project Manager, Zach Bjur, testified in support, emphasizing its potential to protect our resources and manage growth sustainably.
- Urgent: Triple Your Impact by April 10!
- Time is running out! Every dollar you give to CVSC by April 10 will be matched 3X, tripling your impact. That means your $50 gift becomes $150 to drive sustainable growth, safeguard our air, land, and water, and create opportunities for businesses to thrive alongside clean energy innovation. We can’t do this without you. Help us reach our goal before the deadline. Give now and make every dollar count!
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.
- Call Your Senator and Ask Them to Reject Harmful Provisions in H.3309 📞
- Tell Your Senator to Reject Harmful Provisions in H.3309 📨
- New Action: Tell your Senator to stop the Automatic Rate Increase Act 📨
- New Action: Call your Senator and ask them to vote no on the Automatic Rate Increase Act 📞
- Ask Your Legislators to Support Transfer of Development Rights 📨
- Ask Your Legislators to Support Concurrent Infrastructure Requirements 📨
In the News
- SC Counties Should Support Responsibly Sited Solar Projects | CVSC
- Solar farms spark tension between rural areas and sun power advocates. Senators weigh in | The State
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!