Melissa Williams, melissa.williams@sierraclub.org
COLUMBIA, S.C.— Dominion Energy must immediately analyze options for retiring its coal fleet in South Carolina, according to an order by the state Public Service Commission.
Dominion must do a comprehensive coal fleet retirement analysis and assess replacement of the plants, and it must be completed before the utility makes decisions about spending customers’ money to retrofit the Williams and Wateree plants to comply with federal rules meant to protect waterways from mercury, arsenic, and other pollutants from coal plant wastewater.
Commissioners will open a docket ordering Dominion to “evaluate the reliability risks and environmental costs of continued operation of the coal plants as well as options, informed by resource bids, to replace legacy coal technology with state-of- the art clean energy,” as part of its 2022 energy plan update.
Last month, commissioners unanimously rejected Dominion Energy’s proposed plan for how it would provide electricity to customers over the next several years, and ordered the utility to file a modified plan within 60 days. Commissioners said Dominion, which serves more than 750,000 customers in the Palmetto State, made faulty assumptions in its plan regarding everything from fuel prices to energy efficiency, coal retirements, and renewable energy.
In response, Will Harlan, senior representative for the Sierra Club’s Beyond Coal campaign in South Carolina, released the following statement:
“This order is a huge win for Dominion customers, especially considering the utility has already lost $1.7 billion in their hard-earned money since 2012 by propping up coal plants that are so unreliable they provide power to South Carolina homes and businesses less than half the time.
“We’re confident a thorough analysis of Dominion’s coal fleet will show that phasing out these dirty, polluting plants and replacing them with clean, affordable energy is the best path forward for clean water, public health, and customers’ pocketbooks.”
About the Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with more than 3.5 million members and supporters. In addition to protecting every person's right to get outdoors and access the healing power of nature, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit www.sierraclub.org.