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Senator Jim Ritchie: Energy Independence for South Carolina’s Future

Four-bill package seeks to balance environmental and business needs

By: Senator Jim Ritchie

Finding a common sense balance between protecting South Carolina’s environment and enacting progressive standards for our buildings and state fleet is something that must be addressed today.

That is why I have introduced four bills collectively known as “Energy Independence for South Carolina’s Future.” Together, they address our growing dependence on foreign energy, the rising costs of energy on our state, the effects of a building’s indoor environment on its residents, and protecting the beautiful environment for which South Carolina has become famous.

Because this initiative is so important to our future, we already have thirteen bi-partisan co-sponsors, including the President Pro Tempore and five additional senate committee chairmen. We have also received seven letters of endorsement, from state organizations ranging from the American Institute of Architects to the Conservation Voters of South Carolina.

Without raising taxes, S. 376 and S. 362 will implement aggressive sustainable construction standards for our public buildings and schools, using a high performance rating system known as LEED. Developed by the U.S. Green Building Council, LEED takes a whole-building approach to sustainability and high performance standards. This system also highlights the importance of evaluating a building’s cost based on its entire life in operation, rather than just the up-front construction costs. With average cost premiums of only two percent, life cycle savings are currently averaging 20 percent of the building’s construction costs, thus returning more than ten times the initial investment.

Another important factor addressed in these bills is the indoor environment. Several studies have shown that the four major attributes of high performance buildings - increased ventilation control, temperature control, lighting control and daylighting - have been positively and significantly correlated with increased productivity. As indoor air quality rose, studies have shown student absenteeism decreasing by 15 percent, and standardized test scores increasing by 5 percent, which increases students’ lifetime earnings substantially. Improved air quality was also found to reduce asthma by an average of 38.5 percent in five separate studies.

High performance school buildings would experience average savings of $12 per square foot after building a high performance school, which is four times the initial investment. Sustainable schools use an average of 33 percent less energy and 32 percent less water than traditionally designed schools. These improvements result in major savings for our local school districts while providing an improved learning environment for our children. What’s more, these measures address the serious needs of many of our schools. According to the U.S. General Accounting Office, 14 million students - over one-quarter of all students in our country - attend schools considered below standard or dangerous with air unfit to breath in nearly 15,000 schools across our country. This is simply unacceptable practice that must be addressed immediately. South Carolina must be a leader in improving the learning environment for the future of our children.

Innovative investment is the key to our economic future. The Sustainable Investment Act (S. 377) creates tax incentives for private developers to use these rigorous “green” standards in constructing new or renovated commercial buildings. In addition, the bill creates an expedited permitting process for developers employing the LEED standards. These incentives encourage demand in the private sector without enacting excessive regulation that cause unnecessary burdens on the businesses that drive our state’s economy.

Finally, S. 368 would require the state’s Fleet Management Program to select hybrid, plug-in hybrid, bio-diesel and Flex-Fuel Vehicles when price, performance, and quality are comparable to traditional vehicles. South Carolina spends over $100 million annually to own and operate our fleet, with over $32 million spent on over 14 million gallons of fuel. This measure will reduce the state’s fuel spending while minimizing the unpredictability of our fuel supply and the emissions that poison our environment.

An additional feature of these bills is the impact they will have on our economy. A 2004 report found that for every $10 million spent on additional energy efficiency investments, 160 short-term jobs and 30 permanent jobs are created. Rather than sending our money to other countries for energy, we should be implementing standards that will further South Carolina’s economy and create jobs for our own citizens.

This initiative will go a long way in promoting our state’s vital economic and strategic interests. Last year, South Carolinians spent over $18 billion on energy, 98 percent of which came from outside our state. Even more troublesome, a great deal of our energy supply comes from foreign countries hostile to the United States. Together, these measures will lessen our demand while protecting our state and national interests. They will promote a growing niche in our burgeoning construction market, and will enhance our state’s primary industry - tourism - by protecting the areas our citizens and our visitors love to visit or call home.

I hope you will join me, my senate colleagues, and our supporting associations in championing this initiative. Please call your state representatives and let them know you support S. 362, S. 368, S. 376, and S. 377. Together, we can truly protect South Carolina’s future today.

James H. Ritchie, Jr. has represented SC Senate District 13 since 2001. He is Majority Whip and Chairman of the Judicial Merit Selection Commission. He can be reached at JHR@scsenate.org.