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Santee Cooper completes construction of state's first solar Green Power site

Submitted by: John Warner on Sep 11, 2006 at 11:16 pm Tagged with: Next Energy Source:

CONWAY, S.C. - Construction is complete on South Carolina's first solar Green Power site, and Santee Cooper is making the final touches on the site in anticipation of its Oct. 31 unveiling. Santee Cooper and Coastal Carolina University announced the project earlier this year that saw the installation of solar panels atop four new multi-purpose pavilions on East Chanticleer Drive in Conway, a major campus thoroughfare.

Construction took approximately eight months and included special metering equipment that produces real-time statistics on how much electricity is being generated at any moment. A nearby Web-based exhibit will include access to site-performance data and additional renewable energy information.

"We have been overwhelmed by the positive customer response to our Green Power program, and this first solar site is a testament to their commitment to see Santee Cooper pursue more renewable energy alternatives," said Lonnie Carter, Santee Cooper's president and chief executive officer. "This is only the beginning of many developments that aim to establish a substantial network of renewable energy in the state of South Carolina, and Coastal Carolina should be recognized as a pioneer in this effort."

Coastal Carolina recently announced the establishment of the Coastal Carolina University Campus and Community Sustainability Initiative and became one of Santee Cooper's first Green Power Partners at the Champion level in 2001. Green Power Partners purchase up to 5 percent of their electricity as Green Power.

"We are ecstatic that Coastal Carolina University is the state's first solar Green Power site," said Dan Abel, director of the Campus and Community Sustainability Initiative. "By placing the solar panels on a college campus, Santee Cooper is educating countless students about alternative energy and, at the same time, is also promoting CCU's commitment to becoming a sustainable university. I personally buy Green Power, I'm proud that Coastal Carolina University does as well, and I'm grateful to Santee Cooper for showcasing its first solar Green Power site on our campus."

These solar pavilions are the most recent part of Santee Cooper's strategy to promote renewable energy and to fulfill its commitment to reinvest Green Power funds back into renewable resources throughout the state. All revenue from the sale of Green Power is being reinvested in future development of renewable resources or facilities like this project. Santee Cooper is one of only a few utilities in the country that reinvests 100 percent of its Green Power revenue into additional renewable resources. In late 2005, the utility announced a five-year, statewide and multi-tiered plan that, for the first time in its history, would add solar, wind and small-landfill energy to the company's mix of renewables.

Santee Cooper and 17 electric cooperatives across South Carolina, and the City of Georgetown, offer Green Power to their customers. More than 3,000 Green Power residential, commercial and industrial customers have voluntarily purchased thousands of kilowatt-hour blocks since September 2001. In addition to Coastal Carolina University, Burroughs and Chapin Co. Inc., the City of Myrtle Beach, Lowe's, Patricia Resorts and the Georgetown Hospital System are the five other Green Power partners at the Champion Level.

Santee Cooper's Green Power Program has achieved national Green-e certification through The Center for Resource Solutions. Green-e certified utility programs are verified annually for their power content, insuring that the electricity provider selling the power has met the Green-e Program's environmental and consumer protection standards. Green-e is the nation's leading industry certification and verification program for renewable energy products. The Green-e Program certifies that Green Power meets the minimum environmental and consumer protection standards established by the non profit Center for Resource Solutions. For more information on Green-e certification requirements, call 1-888-63-GREEN, or log onto www.green-e.org.

Santee Cooper is South Carolina's state-owned electric and water utility and serves more than 150,000 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 more than 665,000 customers in all 46 counties. Santee Cooper is the largest provider of electricity to South Carolinians. All total, more than two million South Carolinians receive their power directly or indirectly from Santee Cooper. For more information, visit www.santeecooper.com