What are the next steps for consumers?

What are the next steps for consumers in the V. C. Summer nuclear abandonment?

In late November the House Judiciary committee advanced six bills to the General Assembly’s 2018 calendar. This action culminated after many hours of hearings by the House Utility Ratepayer Protection Committee. The hearings included testimony from AARP South Carolina, officials from SCE&G and Santee Cooper, state agencies, consumers and other advocates.

Rep. Peter McCoy, R-Charleston, chairman of the special committee is the sponsor of all six bills now includes numerous co-sponsors. Here is a link to all six bills. AARP South Carolina supports several key provisions found in these bills.

Of note to AARP South Carolina, is a bill to establish a consumer advocate that would represent rate payers in any rate hike case. “Consumers have been left out for too long and adding a consumer advocate to be a point of contact and to work only on behalf of residential consumers is vital,” said Teresa Arnold, AARP South Carolina state director.

In mid-October AARP South Carolina filed documents with the South Carolina Public Service Commission to intervene in support of a petition filed by the Office of Regulatory Staff that would require SCE&G to immediately suspend all revised rate collections from customers based on the failed nuclear power plant construction. A hearing was held  December 12 at the South Carolina Public Service Commission. AARP SC testified and strongly opposed the denial of the ORS request to suspend revised rates.

Met Lorraine, an AARP advocacy volunteer and read her story 

The six bills will be taken up for discussion by the full House when they return to Columbia January 9, 2018.