Santee Cooper Receives $6.9 Million Approval for Grid Resilience Projects

Santee Cooper Receives $6.9 Million Approval for 14 Grid Resilience Projects in South Carolina

Santee Cooper has secured final approval for 14 projects totaling $6.9 million to enhance South Carolina’s electric grid resilience. This funding, sourced from Santee Cooper’s Grid Resilience Grant Program, will address critical infrastructure improvements aimed at reducing outages and improving restoration times, especially during extreme weather events.

The approved projects were submitted by a range of electric cooperatives, municipalities, and other utilities across the state, with a primary focus on benefitting disadvantaged areas. This initiative aligns with broader efforts to bolster the state’s energy infrastructure, as demand for reliable services continues to grow.

As the state administrator for a formula grant under section 40101(d) of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, Santee Cooper worked alongside an independent consultancy, Guidehouse, to evaluate and score the project submissions based on specific criteria outlined in their Request for Proposals (RFP). The projects have also received the green light from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), confirming funding availability for the federal fiscal year 2024. The DOE’s approval allows these crucial project works to commence promptly.

Details of Awarded Projects

The following projects are part of the approved initiative:

• City of Clinton: $445,200 for vegetation management, outage management, and pole inspections.
• City of Rock Hill: $397,123 to install new underground electric lines and upgrade overhead lines to underground.
• Fairfield Electric Cooperative:
  • $99,000 for a comprehensive Fault Indicator System.
  • $210,000 for installing three-phase electronic reclosers on Circuit 1.
  • $330,000 for additional three-phase electronic reclosers from the Woodward substation.
• Greer CPW: $1,047,000 to enhance system automation for real-time data processing during outages.
• Laurens CPW: $1,347,097 for restringing electric distribution lines and vegetation management, particularly in disadvantaged areas.
• MPD Electric Cooperative:
  • $319,104 for distribution management and automation systems.
  • $286,045 for upgrading single-phase lines for improved efficiency and reliability.
  • $720,043 to replace old utility poles and upgrade infrastructure to lower outage rates.
• Orangeburg DPU: $689,721 for remote sensing solutions and replacement of aging equipment.
• York Electric Cooperative:
  • $539,956 for the installation of Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) census meters.
  • $479,921 for converting existing PLC meters to AMI census meters.
  • $73,488 for developing a distribution automation system between substations.

Context and Importance

This development comes during a period of heightened attention on energy needs in South Carolina. The General Assembly, alongside Governor Henry McMaster, recently enacted the South Carolina Energy Security Act to facilitate the efficient construction of new energy resources. Santee Cooper has reiterated its commitment to transparency and community engagement as it plans future energy initiatives, recognizing the challenges faced by vulnerable populations in the state.

The significance of these grid resilience projects cannot be understated, as they represent a proactive approach in fortifying the state’s energy infrastructure, ensuring more reliable service delivery, and minimizing the impact of outages due to severe weather conditions.

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