Energy Legislation Leaves South Carolinians Vulnerable to Higher Energy Bills
Last Minute Bill Fails to Include Critical Provisions
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 8, 2025
Columbia, SC– On May 7th, the South Carolina Senate passed HB 3309 after a rushed process in the House that stripped away key consumer protections, weakened energy efficiency provisions, and removed a provision requiring data centers to pay their fair share for energy use. With just days left in the legislative session, the Senate was pressured to pass a version that leaves South Carolinians exposed to higher costs and reduced oversight.
Despite nearly a year of thoughtful deliberation and expert input in the Senate, the House replaced an acceptable compromise with a bill that prioritizes utility profits over community needs. The final version of HB 3309 includes provisions that allow utilities to bypass full rate cases and raise customer rates annually with minimal oversight. It also incentivizes costly, capital-intensive projects that benefit utility shareholders while limiting public and regulatory scrutiny. The bill grants approval for Santee Cooper and Dominion to jointly build a large new fossil gas plant, doubling down on outdated energy investments. The House also removed a provision that would have required data centers to pay their fair share of infrastructure costs, shifting the burden onto households and small businesses. In addition, it stripped away basic ratepayer protections, including the requirement to provide advance notice to landowners before using eminent domain for energy infrastructure projects.
“It’s deeply disappointing to see nearly a year of thoughtful, expert-driven work in the Senate discarded in favor of a rushed process that puts utility profits ahead of communities in South Carolina,” said Jake Duncan, Vote Solar’s Southeast Senior Regulatory Director. “While the original bill had room for improvement and we didn’t agree with everything in it, it was still a thoughtful and measured bill.”
Despite major changes, the bill held onto some of its original language supporting clean energy progress. It allows utilities to develop new customer-side distributed energy resource (DER) programs, expanding opportunities for solar paired with storage, load flexibility, and electric vehicles. It also improves and formalizes the competitive procurement process for utility-scale renewable energy projects. In addition, the bill enhances energy efficiency (EE) programs by permitting the Public Service Commission (PSC) to set EE targets for utilities, and if those targets are not met, the PSC can appoint a third-party administrator. However, the House weakened these EE provisions by removing stronger language from the Senate version that would have required the PSC to approve all cost-effective efficiency measures, explicitly set EE targets, and impose penalties on utilities that failed to meet them.
“South Carolinians deserve more than rushed policies and rising bills; they deserve a fair, transparent energy system,” said Duncan. “Vote Solar will continue to advocate for policies that increase access to local solar solutions and put communities first.”
About Vote Solar
Vote Solar is a nonprofit advocacy organization working to advance state-level policies that make solar and clean energy solutions accessible to all. Since 2002, Vote Solar has worked to build a just and equitable energy future by leveraging deep policy expertise, strategic partnerships, and public engagement. In the face of powerful opposition, Vote Solar champions bold solutions that expand clean energy access, drive investment in frontline communities, and accelerate the transition to 100% clean energy.