Energy equity can be a reality in South Carolina 

In late June, South Carolina was trapped in a heat dome.  

The National Weather Service issued a weather alert, alarming residents that temperatures were set to reach the 90s and the heat index would make it feel even hotter.  

This type of weather is especially dangerous, as extreme heat puts disadvantaged communities at risk of heat exhaustion, heat stroke, and other illnesses. For low-income residents, this extreme weather is compounded by rising energy costs.  

It is also an environmental justice issue, as Black, Hispanic, and Asian communities are disproportionately exposed to extreme heat, while most of the people who die of a heat-related cause are Indigenous. 

South Carolina has a long history of environmental injustice.

It is home to Indigenous, Gullah Geechee, and other Black communities that have long been intensely connected to the Earth and equipped with ancestral knowledge on the best technologies and methodologies for protecting the earth and planet. Unfortunately, these populations have been disproportionately impacted by poor environmental conditions and pollution burdens and left out of policy-making decisions regarding their environments. 

Unpacking energy injustice in South Carolina 

Even though communities of color in South Carolina have an extremely small carbon footprint, they disproportionately bear the brunt of energy injustice. Low- and moderate- income residents in South Carolina have high energy burdens, which can reach as high as 45%. Energy burden is the percentage of income that a household spends on energy costs. A 6% or higher energy burden is considered high energy burden, the average across the United States.  

We can absolutely live in the world where every human, every citizen in South Carolina, from cradle to just before grave, can have unfettered access to clean, affordable, resilient, reliable and accessible energy sources.

Shayne Kinloch, South Carolina Energy Justice Coalition

The average South Carolinian spends $138.00 per month on energy, amongst the highest in the country. This means that low-income families braving heatwaves and other forms of extreme weather this year may be forced to choose between food, medicine, mortgage or rent payments and safely cooling their homes.  

These high energy costs are the result of several factors in the state:  

• Energy consumption is high in South Carolina due to longer summers, an aging population, and inefficient homes 

• Over-reliance on fossil fuels increases the cost of electricity 

• Historic racial injustices have deepend energy injustice in South Carolina through the urban heat islands effect.  

People power 

The South Carolina Energy Justice Coalition is working to address these issues head-on. The coalition is a nonpartisan collective of over 60 organizations across the four regions of South Carolina working to support communities experiencing high energy burdens, persistent energy inefficiency, and other inequities in the South Carolina energy system. 

The coalition began in 2021 with a single issue – a moratorium on utilities shutoffs during the pandemic. This focus grew to include a multitude of other related energy and environmental injustice issues. The coalition harnesses people power to advocate for energy justice for frontline communities in South Carolina.  

During the coronavirus pandemic, the coalition was integral in securing bill relief for low-income South Carolinians. Energy justice issues were exacerbated during the pandemic as more families were sheltered in place, which increased utility bills.  

The coalition appealed to the state government to create a moratorium on electric disconnections. During the crisis, Dominion Energy, Duke Energy, Blue Granite Water Company, and Santee Cooper suspended disconnections for nonpayment and late payments. The coalition also advocated for additional relief for residents with large utility bill balances, so they would not lose power once the moratorium ended over year and half later. Coalition members worked directly within their communities to raise awareness of the relief opportunities.  

“Incremental change is the path towards transformational change,” said Shayne Kinloch Coalition Director, South Carolina Energy Justice Coalition. “It takes folks who are dedicated to the work, maintaining a staunch commitment and a laser focus on undoing harmful systems and structures for the long haul.” 

The coalition exemplifies people power in action.  

Other recent activities have included the South Carolina Energy Advocacy Day at the South Carolina State House to educate members, students, and local community members on how to feel more confident engaging with their local representatives. The day involved meeting state leaders, learning about the legislative processes, and becoming acquainted with the spaces and grounds of the Statehouse that can often feel unsafe and hostile to marginalized communities.  

House Bill 5118  

For the past year, the coalition’s primary focus was a bill in South Carolina’s House of Representatives that would authorize Dominion Energy and Santee Cooper to build a massive gas plant on the Edisto River and make it easier for utilities to influence the Public Service Commission while preventing third-party groups, including community groups and nonprofits, from challenging bad utility plans.    

The coalition focused on stopping H.5118, working with legislators to reject the construction of a new gas plant in the underserved Canadys community. Ultimately, legislators could not ignore the danger posed by H.5118, thanks largely to a rally organized by the coalition that drew citizens from across the state and sounded the alarm. The coalition’s Chief Lobbyist Zakiya Mickle was instrumental in placing language in H.5118 that would minimize the impact on ratepayers and maximize energy efficiency access. The Bill is now on the conference committee, and unlikely to pass.  

“We can absolutely live in the world where every human, every citizen in South Carolina, from cradle to just before grave, can have unfettered access to clean, affordable, resilient, reliable and accessible energy sources,” said Shayne Kinloch Coalition Director, South Carolina Energy Justice Coalition. “Every citizen is worthy of that type of energy by virtue of just being a human being.” 

Increasing access to affordable energy  

Despite the threat of H.5118, there are diverse and unprecedented opportunities for rate relief on the horizon, which the coalition will be integral in connecting to its members and elevating in SC communities.  

Thanks to the historic federal climate law, the Inflation Reduction Act, access to renewable energy and energy efficiency solutions will soon reach more South Carolinians. The state received over $124 million to fund Solar for All initiatives which will include community solar, energy efficiency, and solar innovation. This package of solutions will contribute to easing energy burdens for even more households in the state.  

Cities in Central South Carolina were awarded over $8 million from EPA’s Climate Pollution Reduction Grant program to help seven counties and 34 cities deploy municipal solar power and “smart surface” projects to reduce extreme heat and flooding in urban areas that disproportionally impact lower-income residents. 

As a member/coordinating with the coalition, SELC also, on behalf of the Coastal Conservation League and Southern Alliance for Clean Energy, joined a settlement in the Dominion Energy South Carolina rate case that lowers the initially sought monthly rate increase for residential customers using 1,000 kWh per month by from $18.86 (a 14.21% increase) to $15.13 per month. The settlement also secured commitments—including an additional $ 3 million dollars—to improve the efficiency of low-income households.   

By connecting the dots, going out into communities, providing education and tools to members, communicating their lived experiences, and bridging the gap between the underserved and decision-makers, the South Carolina Energy Justice Coalition is bringing hope to communities and helping to make energy equity a reality in South Carolina.