Current News Releases
May 1, 2007
Santee Cooper, Electric Cooperatives and University of South Carolina announce landmark environmental-research initiative
Santee Cooper and the Electric Cooperatives of South Carolina announced a landmark research collaboration with the University of South Carolina Tuesday (May 1) aimed at making the use of coal cleaner and more energy efficient.
Santee Cooper and the Electric Cooperatives have pledged a combined $5 million to establish a Center of Excellence at the University of South Carolina. The center will research strategic environmental approaches to electricity production from coal. The partnership seeks to bring leading researchers together to develop technological initiatives reducing carbon emissions at coal-fired power plants.
Half of the pledge will be endowed to provide sustained support for the Center of Excellence, and the other half can provide immediate direct support of the carbon removal research. It is hoped that the funding will be matched by the state of South Carolina’s Centers of Economic Excellence initiative, which would then create long-term sustainable resources to finance these efforts.
“We are committed to providing low-cost, reliable power to our customers, and we are addressing environmental issues relating to that electricity generation,” said Lonnie Carter, Santee Cooper president and chief executive officer. “As the state’s leading electricity provider, we understand our role in spearheading initiatives to help us balance the demand for increased electricity with our environmental responsibilities. Carbon removal technology will be essential as we move forward. This research project will help foster practical, affordable solutions that will benefit us all.
“We are pleased to partner with our state’s electric cooperatives and the University,” Carter continued. “We are confident that this enterprise will yield significant improvements that will showcase South Carolina as a leader in the critical discussions to come.”
University of South Carolina President Andrew Sorensen said the investment is an expression of confidence in the university’s alternative energy research program and further positions the university as a leader in future fuels research.
“We are pleased that the Electric Cooperatives and Santee Cooper have made this pledge, and we look forward to working with them in this very important endeavor,” Sorensen said. “I can think of few research areas that hold the promise to benefit so many in our state, our nation and the world. We look forward to being a leader in this very important research, which has enormous potential for benefiting consumers, stimulating the economy, making coal use more economical and eco-friendly, and protecting our environment.”
Mike Couick, CEO of The Electric Cooperatives of South Carolina, Inc., said the electric cooperatives have a moral responsibility to invest in research that will protect their employees, members and their children.
“We promote conservation of our precious natural resources through energy efficiency programs and do-it-yourself home energy audits,” said Couick. “But conservation is only one part. We’ve got to have research to make sure we have enough electricity in the future and to make sure it’s as clean as it can be.”
Ron Calcaterra, CEO of Central Electric Power Cooperative, which is providing the funding on behalf of all of the state’s electric cooperatives, said he is optimistic that the partnership and subsequent research will ultimately yield results that are beneficial to electric cooperative consumers.
“Coal gives us the best opportunity to hold down electric rates, while meeting our obligation to provide electric service," Calcaterra said. "We think this partnership will provide a return on our investment and help us keep electricity affordable and provide a road map to be more energy efficient.”
Many energy experts say that as demand for electricity in the state grows, the cost of using alternative energy sources is too expensive to pass on to consumers. Coal remains the least expensive and most plentiful resource for generating electricity, but carbon emissions and other pollutants are a growing concern as world leaders continue studying their potential effects on climate change and other environmental impacts.
Plans call for the university researchers, who will be housed in the university’s College of Engineering and Computing, to develop affordable technologies that will address these economic and environmental issues.
Specifically, the research partnership is expected to do the following:
- accelerate research in environmental control technology to maximize the economic benefits of coal-generated electricity;
- serve as a catalyst for new spin-off companies to market the new technology;
- ensure the continued availability of low-cost, reliable electric power to current and new industrial and residential customers; and
- protect the environment by reducing carbon, mercury and acid emissions as the industry meets an escalating demand for affordable electricity.
An advisory board comprising university, state and industry leaders, including representatives from Santee Cooper and the Electric Cooperatives, will help guide the research program.
ABOUT THE PARTNERS
Santee Cooper has a rich environmental history and is the state’s leader in the production of alternative energy. From creating GOFER, the company’s Give Oil for Energy Recovery program, to developing the state’s first Green Power program and installing solar panels in schools to promote alternative energy production, the company lives out its mission to be a leading resource for improving the quality of life for all South Carolinians.
Santee Cooper is South Carolina’s state-owned electric and water utility and serves more than 156,000 residential and commercial customers in Berkeley, Georgetown and Horry counties.
The utility also generates the power distributed by the state’s 20 electric cooperatives to serve more than 665,000 customers in all 46 counties. All total, almost two million South Carolinians receive their power directly or indirectly from Santee Cooper. For more information, visit Santee Cooper.
The Electric Cooperatives of South Carolina are leaders in providing energy efficiency and environmentally friendly products for our members. In partnership with Santee Cooper, many of the cooperatives offer electricity produced by renewable resources such as landfill gas. In addition, many cooperatives have given away energy efficient light bulbs to their members to encourage energy conservation.
More than 1.4 million South Carolinians in all 46 counties use power provided by the 20 independent electric cooperatives. Together, the co-ops operate the state’s largest electric power system with more than 70,000 miles of power line across 70 percent of the state. More information is available at The Electric Cooperatives of South Carolina.
Related Links
Video
University President Andrew Sorensen (Flash, 1:32)
College of Engineering & Computing Dean Michael Amiridis (Flash, 0:45)
