Santee Cooper takes second look at future energy plans

Santee Cooper is re-evaluating any plans it has for future power needs, including those for a proposed coal-fired generation facility in Kingsburg, a Santee Cooper spokeswoman said Friday.

It’s happening about the same time as one of Santee Cooper’s customers, the Central Electric Power Cooperative, is engaging in talks with Duke Energy to possibly buy power from Duke, said Dukes Scott, director of the S.C. Office of Regulatory Staff.

Central Electric is negotiating with Duke Energy to buy power for five of its cooperatives in upstate South Carolina, Scott said.

These negotiations don’t affect cooperatives in the Pee Dee, he said.

If Central Electric Power Cooperative were to began buying energy from Duke, Scott said, he’s not certain that would have an effect on Santee Cooper’s plans for the proposed Pee Dee Energy Campus in Kingsburg.

The S.C. Office of Regulatory Staff doesn’t regulate Santee Cooper because it is state owned, Scott said.

“I really don’t know,” he said. “I’m told it could affect (Santee Cooper’s) plans. It could impact how much energy is needed.”

Santee Cooper maintains the energy that would be produced by the plant is necessary to prevent power shortages in South Carolina within the next five years.

Environmental groups disagree, and area residents have been divided on the issue.

The 600-megawatt facility is slated to become operational in 2012 and would be located on a 2,709-acre tract along the Great Pee Dee River.

Laura Varn, Santee Cooper’s vice president of corporate communications, said it wouldn’t be appropriate to comment on Santee Cooper’s ongoing negotiations with Central Electric Power Cooperative, but said Santee Cooper’s board of directors would discuss the negotiations at its meeting Monday.

At the company’s last board meeting, the chairman indicated some concerns about Santee Cooper’s business because of the economy, Varn said.

Santee Cooper’s CEO, Lonnie Carter, was asked to evaluate any future plans or needs for power the company may have, Varn said.

That issue also will be discussed at Monday’s board meeting, Varn said.

Tim Pettit, spokesman for Duke Energy Carolinas, said it would be premature and inappropriate to discuss any current negotiations in which the company is engaging with any entity.

Pettit said, however, Duke Energy has supplied energy to Central Electric Power Cooperative in the past.

“We use to serve their cooperatives and we would welcome the opportunity to serve them again,” he said.

Duke Energy Carolinas is regulated by the S.C. Public Service Commission and the N.C. Utilities Commission, so any new agreement would have to be approved by those agencies, Pettit said.