South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster walks into House chambers to give his State of The State address Wednesday, Jan. 24., 2024, at the Statehouse in Columbia, S.C. Directly behind him to his left is Sen. Nikki Setzler, D-West Columbia. To his right is Rep. Jay West, R-Belton. Giving two thumbs up in the background is McMaster’s Chief of Staff Trey Walker. (File/Mary Ann Chastain/ Special to the SC Daily Gazette)
COLUMBIA — Gov. Henry McMaster in his eighth State of the State address on Wednesday urged the revival of a failed nuclear project in South Carolina.
State-owned utility Santee Cooper announced last week it would seek a buyer for the pair of half-built nuclear reactors, located at the V.C. Summer Nuclear Station in Fairfield County, that were mothballed more than seven years ago.
“I believe that restarting these two reactors will not only help fuel our state’s future power needs but will also usher in a nuclear power renaissance across the country, one that will spur nationwide investment and construction of new nuclear power generation,” McMaster said in prepared remarks.
The governor’s support for the project comes as legislative leaders grapple with how to meet the state’s growing energy needs.
“We are running out of time,” said the governor, who with his address Wednesday officially became the longest serving elected governor in South Carolina history.
“Our electric generation, distribution, and transmission capacity and capabilities must be able to handle enhanced future economic development, anticipated technological advances, and population growth,” McMaster added.
And he urged action by the General Assembly to address the issue.
When Santee Cooper and now defunct South Carolina Electric & Gas partnered on the V.C. Summer expansion nearly two decades ago, it marked the first new nuclear construction in the country in 40 years.
But construction fell behind schedule and over budget. The companies ultimately abandoned the effort in July 2017 — after jointly spending $9 billion.
South Carolina power customers are still paying much of the cost for the reactors that have yet to generate a single megawatt.
Remembering Helene
The governor also went on to pay homage to South Carolina’s electric utility line workers.
Hurricane Helene’s arrival to the Palmetto State as a tropical storm in the pre-dawn hours of Sept. 27 knocked out power to some 1.4 million homes and businesses.
“Joining us here tonight are a few of the men and women who worked day and night – some for weeks, at dangerous heights, and around deadly high voltage electricity – to get the power back on,” McMaster said, asking the workers to stand.
Helene was the deadliest storm to ever hit the state, killing 49 people and damaging 6,300 homes and 912 roads. Ten bridges must still be rebuilt.
More than $5 million in donations poured into the One SC Fund at Central Carolina Community Foundation to help people recover, the most that has ever been donated to the fund for a single storm since it was created following the historic flooding of 2015.
The state has received federal disaster dollars, but McMaster said it may not be enough to cover all the costs.
Meanwhile, to prepare for future storms. the governor renewed his budget asks to replenish a pair of state-funded reserves to help with disaster recovery and prevention, as well as $150 million to pay for gaps not covered by federal money.