South Carolina considers its energy future through state Senate committee

Associated Press

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — The South Carolina Senate has started its homework assignment of coming up with a comprehensive bill to guide energy policy in a rapidly growing state and amid a quickly changing power-generation world. The Special Committee on South Carolina’s Energy Future met for the first time Thursday and heard from the leaders of the state’s three major utilities. The utility leaders say they need extra power for growing data centers and manufacturing and are hampered by federal rules requiring them to close plants powered by coal. Future meetings will bring in regular ratepayers, environmentalists, business leaders and experts on the latest technology to make electricity.