Melissa Williams, melissa.williams@sierraclub.org
COLUMBIA. S.C. — Dominion Energy, which bills itself as one of the nation’s leading clean energy companies, is one of the worst greenwashing utilities in South Carolina and the entire country, according to comprehensive analysis by the Sierra Club.
“The Dirty Truth About Utility Climate Pledges” has been updated by Sierra Club experts for 2022. The report grades utilities based on their plans to retire coal plants, stop building new gas plants, and invest in clean energy, while also allowing the public to judge each utility’s climate progress and how it compares to what science demands.
Dominion Energy South Carolina earned an “F” in the last Dirty Truth report and repeats that failing grade this year. The company has set a goal of net-zero by 2050, but the resource plan they filed this month would cut emissions by less than half by 2050.
Since our last Dirty Truth report was published, DESC hasn’t committed to any additional coal retirements, and has delayed the proposed retirement of its Williams coal plant in Goose Creek by two years. This delay means wasting millions of dollars in customers’ hard-earned money to retrofit this outdated plant to comply with federal rules meant to protect waterways from mercury, arsenic, and other pollutants from coal plant wastewater.
It will also lead to significant, unnecessary stranded costs to be covered by South Carolina families and businesses, when DESC could instead retire the plant as soon as possible and invest in clean, renewable resources like wind, solar and battery storage.
Dominion has had ample time to appropriately invest in cheap, safe clean energy that doesn’t fuel the climate crisis. Instead, the people of South Carolina are literally being forced to bear the costs of their poor decisions.
“The only thing ‘getting more green’ means with Dominion is the money they get from our high energy bills and their rate increases,” said Paul Black, organizing representative with the Sierra Club’s Beyond Coal campaign in South Carolina.
Sierra Club’s analysis, as of today’s report release, shows Dominion is among the worst companies for planned gas, with more than 3,400 MW on the books over the next decade.
And Dominion is currently proposing a rate increase in South Carolina that would raise bills by almost 14% — which would be the highest rate increase in over a decade and have a devastating impact on communities still dealing with economic and public health unrest from the ongoing pandemic, as well as constant, massive storms stoked by climate change.
DESC just completed their annual fuel docket in April of this year and the PSC approved a $6.50/month increase or 5.19%. This new mid-year filing would now tack on almost $20/month by November.
“We can't pay bills this high two months in a row,” said Devanny Brown, a Dominion customer in Elgin. “I can't believe they want even more.”
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.