S.C. Agency Recommends State Regulators Reject SCE&Gs’ Abandonment Plan for V.C. Summer Nuclear Station

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COLUMBIA, S.C. (WOLO) –

The Office of Regulatory Staff is asking South Carolina regulators to reject SCE&Gs’ plan to recover billions of more dollars from customers for the nuclear project it bailed on last week.

The agency, responsible for examining utilities, recommends that state regulators dismiss the company’s abandonment plans.

Santee Cooper, a state-owned private utility, made the decision last week to stop their expansion of V.C. Summer Nuclear Station after jointly spending $10 billion dollars. By law, SCE&G must get approval from the Public Service Commission before they make such a decision.

SCE&G is now asking commissioners to find that they acted quickly, so it can proceed with plans to revise electricity rates and recover $5 billion dollars over the next 60 years.

The Office of Regulatory Staff, which represents the public in utility regulation, argues that SCE&G is making its request under the wrong section of state law.