New Report Shows Higher Customer Bills from Proposed Edisto Gas Plant
The proposed Edisto gas plant poses major economic risks for everyday customers, at a time when high electric bills already place an undue burden on hard-working families and small businesses across South Carolina. According to a new report by consulting group Applied Economics Clinic (AEC), there are three big risks to customers:
- Calls for more energy are uncertain, which could leave customers on the hook for big infrastructure buildouts that may not be necessary.
- Construction delays and cost overruns could increase the already $5 billion price tag, paid for by customers.
- Customers pay for gas to burn as fuel in the plant, an inherently volatile and risky expense.
Dominion Energy and Santee Cooper want to build this gas plant in Colleton County on the banks of the Edisto River, bringing threats of air pollution and land disturbance to the area. The plant would also require a new pipeline through Hampton and Colleton Counties, cutting across the Savannah River and the ACE Basin—sensitive ecosystems that are valued in the Lowcountry for their untouched beauty and public access. The pipeline would also impact around 185 landowners’ private property, exposing those along the route to health and safety risks.
While the proposed plant and pipeline pose serious threats to South Carolina’s air, land, and water, we want to take a closer look at the potential financial impact on everyday customers identified by AEC.
Customers are on the hook to meet data centers’ needs
Data centers and other large customers are driving the need for the Edisto gas plant. While our state’s population growth plays a role, large customers like data centers are the main justification for the plant. The graph below shows how much lower Santee Cooper’s expected energy needs would be without these large customers. Santee Cooper also includes large customers that have not yet signed contracts in their projections, meaning they may be over-building new energy infrastructure. We need to make sure that data centers pay their fair share for new power infrastructure—and that these industrial customers actually show up to use the power they’re asking for.
Shaky cost projections rise over time
The expected cost of this plant has risen dramatically over time, doubling since utilities pitched the idea to legislators in 2024. As recently as 2025, Dominion and Santee Cooper didn’t even agree on the cost. And factors like tariffs, inflation, and supply chain constraints only add to cost uncertainty. As it stands, customers will pay for this $5 billion plant through existing customer electric bills. However, according to AEC, the average energy project costs 40% more than expected, which could mean an extra $2 billion to build the Edisto gas plant.
Customers pay for gas, an expensive and risky fuel source
There are several costs not included in the stated $5 billion price tag. It doesn’t include power line improvements needed to transport energy from the plant. It doesn’t include the half-billion-dollar pipeline needed to transport gas to the plant. And it doesn’t include the cost of the gas itself—a cost customers cover 100%. The chart below compares utilities’ expected cost of gas with actual prices over the last five years, showing how unexpected and volatile this cost can be. Customer bills increased to cover the 2022–2023 price spike, and they would rise again to cover future price spikes over the decades-long life of this plant.
The clock is ticking towards June 2026, when regulators at the Public Service Commission (PSC) will either approve, modify, or deny the Edisto gas plant. If you’d like to make your voice heard before a decision is made, sign up to speak at an upcoming public hearing and let regulators know that you oppose this risky, expensive project.