South Carolina
South Carolina Public Service Commission
Commissioners
7Active Proceedings
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State Intelligence
Updated May 26, 2026Utility Landscape
Duke Energy Carolinas / Duke Energy Progress
IOUUpstate South Carolina (Duke Energy Carolinas) and portions of central and eastern SC (Duke Energy Progress); combined service to roughly half the state's IOU customers
Duke's South Carolina operations are subject to joint NCUC/SCPSC oversight for Carolinas-jurisdiction assets; the commission has scrutinized Duke's multi-year rate plan requests and cost recovery mechanisms for grid hardening investments. Recent proceedings addressed storm cost securitization and the pace of coal plant retirement cost recovery.
Dominion Energy South Carolina (formerly SCE&G)
IOUCentral South Carolina including Columbia metro, Midlands, and portions of the Lowcountry; also provides natural gas service across much of the state
Dominion Energy SC continues to carry significant regulatory and reputational legacy from the failed V.C. Summer nuclear expansion, with SCPSC oversight of ongoing customer refund mechanisms and base rate adjustments mandated under Act 258 reforms. The commission approved a rate settlement in 2023 but ongoing gas infrastructure rider proceedings remain active.
Santee Cooper (South Carolina Public Service Authority)
muniDirectly serves portions of Berkeley, Horry, and Georgetown counties; wholesale power supplier to all 20 Central Electric Power Cooperative members statewide
As a state-owned utility, Santee Cooper is not directly rate-regulated by SCPSC but is subject to legislative oversight; the General Assembly's ongoing reform mandate following the V.C. Summer debacle shapes its resource planning. Santee Cooper's integrated resource plan and renewable procurement targets are closely watched by SCPSC due to downstream impacts on cooperative retail rates.
Central Electric Power Cooperative
coopStatewide wholesale cooperative serving all 20 distribution electric cooperatives in South Carolina; does not serve retail customers directly
Central Electric's wholesale power costs, tied primarily to Santee Cooper contracts, flow through to retail co-op members and are subject to SCPSC review in retail rate proceedings. Renegotiation of the long-term Santee Cooper power supply contract remains a critical issue for member co-ops seeking cost relief.
Blue Granite Water Company
IOUScattered systems across Lexington, Kershaw, Richland, and other counties; primarily suburban and rural water service
Blue Granite (a Middlesex Water subsidiary) filed a general rate case in 2024 seeking recovery of infrastructure replacement and PFAS compliance costs; the SCPSC approved a partial rate increase with conditions on capital project completion timelines. The company operates under heightened scrutiny given statewide concerns over water system consolidation and affordability.
Piedmont Natural Gas (Duke Energy subsidiary)
IOUPrimarily Upstate South Carolina including Greenville, Spartanburg, and surrounding communities
Piedmont's SCPSC-jurisdictional operations are subject to periodic rate reviews; the commission has addressed its Pipe Replacement Program rider and cost recovery for system modernization. Emerging questions around gas system long-term planning in the context of electrification policy have begun appearing in commission proceedings.
Key Issues
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Dominion Energy SC rate case and post-V.C. Summer cost allocation: The commission continues to administer customer credits and monitor compliance with Act 258 refund obligations while Dominion pursues recovery of new generation and grid modernization capital through rider mechanisms, creating ongoing tension between ratepayer protection and utility investment recovery.
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Santee Cooper long-term power supply contract renegotiation: The 20 member electric cooperatives and their trade association are pressing for revised contract terms with Santee Cooper to reduce wholesale power costs; SCPSC has limited direct jurisdiction but retail rate impacts keep the commission engaged as a stakeholder in legislative deliberations.
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Renewable energy integration and IRP compliance: Both Duke Energy SC and Dominion Energy SC face commission scrutiny of their integrated resource plans, particularly regarding the pace and cost of utility-scale solar procurement, battery storage interconnection, and retirement schedules for aging fossil generation under evolving state energy policy.
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Grid hardening and storm cost securitization: Following repeated hurricane and severe weather impacts, SCPSC is actively reviewing utility requests for deferred storm cost recovery and infrastructure hardening riders; the commission's treatment of securitization bonds for Duke Energy Progress storm costs sets precedent for future filings.
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Water utility consolidation, PFAS compliance cost recovery, and affordability: Multiple small-to-mid-size water IOUs including Blue Granite have filed or are expected to file rate cases seeking recovery of EPA PFAS maximum contaminant level compliance capital; the commission is developing a consistent framework for evaluating prudence and phasing of these costs to balance infrastructure investment with low-income customer impacts.
Upcoming
Estimated deadline for Dominion Energy South Carolina's annual gas infrastructure modernization rider (GRIP) compliance filing and SCPSC staff review period; commission order on adjusted rider rate expected by Q3 2026.
Estimated evidentiary hearing date for any pending SCPSC general rate case or rider proceeding filed by a water IOU (potentially Blue Granite or Utilities Inc. subsidiary) in late 2025 or early 2026; exact docket and schedule subject to commission scheduling order.
Estimated date by which Duke Energy Carolinas and Duke Energy Progress are expected to file updated integrated resource plans with SCPSC reflecting revised renewable procurement targets and coal retirement schedules under 2025-2026 federal and state policy developments.
Estimated commencement of SCPSC technical hearings on Santee Cooper's 2026 Integrated Resource Plan update, which is expected to address expanded offshore wind feasibility studies, additional utility-scale solar contracts, and revised demand forecasts; cooperative wholesale rate implications will be a central focus.
Commissioner Watch
View all ↗Stephen "Mike" Caston appointmented of the South Carolina Public Service Commission.
Eugene Hennelly appointmented of the South Carolina Public Service Commission.
Swain Whitfield appointmented of the South Carolina Public Service Commission.
Mike M. Caston departed of the South Carolina Public Service Commission.
Headen B. Thomas departed of the South Carolina Public Service Commission.
Staff
18| Name | Title | Phone |
|---|---|---|
| Jocelyn G. Boyd | Chief Clerk/Executive Director | (803) 896-5100 |
| Jo Anne Wessinger Hill | General Counsel | (803) 896-5100 |
| Norman Scarborough | Deputy Director, Public Utility Analysts | (864) 923-2867 |
| Rob T. Bockman Jr. | Director of Public Information | (803) 896-5142 |
| Tricia DeSanty | Administrative Coordinator to Commissioners | (803) 896-5100 |
| Randy H. Erskine | Information Technology Director | (803) 896-5104 |
| Nicole Given | Special Counsel | (803) 896-5100 |
| Amanda Golebiowski | CFO | (803) 896-5100 |
| Afton Goodfellow | Accountability & Compliance Manager | (803) 896-5100 |
| Sharon Harwell | Accounting Fiscal Manager 1 | (803) 896-8728 |
| Lance Holt PE | Director of Engineering | (803) 896-5100 |
| Derek Jones | DOE Clean Energy Innovator Fellow | (803) 896-5100 |
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