The South Carolina-based firm will retire six power-generating units in a move aimed at complying with new environmental regulations to lower carbon emissions.
Four of the units are coal-fired and the other two use oil; they are at Santee Cooper’s Jefferies Generating Station and Grainger Generating Station.
The decision to close down these units marks the company’s first unit retirements since the utility began generating electricity 70 years ago, according to Charleston Business Journal.
Santee Cooper chairman O.L. Thompson commented that the latest decision is the most cost-effective move the company could make.
"As we evaluated the anticipated costs of complying with new regulations and the generation resources we anticipate needing, it became clear that the best action for our customers and the state is to authorize the retirement of these units at Jefferies and Grainger," Thompson said.
Santee Cooper president and CEO Lonnie Carter noted that the utility’s priority now will be to evaluate next steps and establish a timetable for retiring the units.
"These stations are neighbors to thousands of our customers, after all, and we fully intend to remain involved in these communities," Carter added.
