Bi-partisan, landmark solar law passes in South Carolina

Columbia, S.C. – Last night, after previously unanimously passing both the South Carolina House of Representatives and the state Senate, Gov. Henry McMaster signed into law the Energy Freedom Act, House Bill 3659, also known as “the solar bill.”

The legislation was championed by Republican House Judiciary Chairman Peter McCoy (Charleston) and Republican Sen. Tom Davis (Beaufort and Jasper), among many others. A total of 50 bi-partisan representatives and 11 bi-partisan senators sponsored companion bills originally filed.

An overview of everything the Act accomplishes can be found on the S.C. Chapter of the Club’s summary page. Most notably, the Act eliminates the former statewide cap on rooftop solar, boosts large-scale solar outlays over the next 10 years, includes solar options for low- and middle-income customers, mandates that utilities incorporate additional renewable energy options in future planning, and directs state regulatory agencies and the Public Service Commission to protect ratepayers.

“This is a landmark accomplishment in South Carolina since it comes directly on the heels of the repeal of the Base Load Review Act and the strengthening of utility regulatory infrastructure last year, said South Carolina Sierra Club Chapter Conservation Chair Bob Guild. “We are now leading the way in the Deep South on a new, renewable energy future.”

Dave Rogers, senior campaign representative for the Sierra Club’s Beyond Coal campaign in the Carolinas, added, “It’s amazing to see our renewable energy efforts nationwide becoming less and less constrained by political party and geography. In South Carolina, the state recently cancelled boondoggle nuclear units that were fleecing ratepayers and new coal plants in the state are no longer an option. It’s clear that renewable energy is the future nationwide. The sun shines just as bright in the South as it does anywhere else.”