South Carolina PSC Finalizes Canadys Gas Plant Approval

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Approval Comes with No Cost Caps Despite Ballooning Price Estimates

COLUMBIA, S.C. — The South Carolina Public Service Commission (PSC) finalized its May 15th approval of the Certificate of Environmental Compatibility and Public Convenience and Necessity for the proposed Canadys Gas Plant last Friday. The final order fails to put a cap on the total cost of the power plant’s ballooning estimates, fails to require the closure of aging coal plants, and fails to protect the ecologically important ACE Basin.

In response, Paul Black, Sr. Campaign Organizer for Sierra Club’s Beyond Coal Campaign in the Carolinas, released the following statement:

“The PSC is once again saddling captive monopoly customers with all of the financial risk while padding the profits of utility executives and shareholders. Requiring utility customers to pay billions of dollars for a power plant several years before it produces electricity, with absolutely zero consumer protections, will make energy inflation worse for struggling South Carolina families and businesses. The PSC must quickly establish strong consumer protections for residential and small business customers by requiring data centers to pay their fair share for the massive amounts of power they need, but are not paying for right now.”

About the Sierra Club

The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with millions of 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.