Santee Cooper's Board of Directors today advanced important energy projects that will help meet South Carolina's growing energy needs and open the door to further economic development.
Earlier today, the Board approved Santee Cooper's participation in the proposed joint construction of a 2,200 megawatt (MW) combined cycle natural gas power plant in Canadys, the construction of two dual-fuel simple cycle combustion turbines (CTs) that will provide a total of an additional 100 MW in Georgetown County, and a provider to build and operate a 300 MW battery storage system (BESS) in Berkeley County.
With the utility's 250-megawatt (MW) expansion of its Rainey Generating Station already underway and the potential restart of two 2,200-MW nuclear power plants in Fairfield County, Santee Cooper is working to add over 5,000 MW of new electricity to South Carolina's grid.
“Santee Cooper is answering the call for energy solutions to drive continued prosperity in South Carolina,” said Jimmy Staton, president and CEO of Santee Cooper. “These new projects will go a long way toward meeting future energy needs and driving progress across the state.”
Board Action: Approve the Canadas Station project
The board approved Santee Cooper's interest in Canadys Station, a natural gas power plant to be built with Dominion Energy South Carolina on the former Dominion Energy coal-fired power plant site in Colleton County. Santee Cooper will receive half of the plant’s capacity – enough to power up to 250,000 homes. The natural gas combined cycle power plant will provide reliable baseload power and also provide a flexible resource that will help integrate additional solar energy.
The station will consist of three combined cycle turbines with flexible fuel capacity. Once completed, it will be one of the most efficient power plants in the southeastern United States. Based on current forecasts, Canadas Station will be operational in the early 2030s. By collaborating on this project, Santee Cooper and Dominion Energy will benefit from existing infrastructure and economies of scale, resulting in savings for customers.
Board Action: Approval of power converters at Winyah Power Plant
The board approved the procurement and installation of two dual-fuel simple cycle combustion turbines (CTs) at the existing Winyah Power Plant. Each CT will produce 40-60 MW and can run on fuel oil or natural gas. The CTs planned for a former ash pond site will provide a highly flexible, reliable and cost-effective solution to meet additional power generation needs through the 2027-2028 winter season.
Board Action: Approve the Pinopolis Reliability Project
The Board has selected Aypa Power, a leading developer and operator of utility-scale battery energy storage systems (BESS), to develop the Pinopolis Reliability Project, a 300 MW or 1,200 MW-hour battery storage facility to be constructed at Santee Cooper's Jefferies Generation Station. Aypa Power will build, own and operate the facility, which will become the largest battery storage facility in South Carolina and one of the largest in the South. The project highlights Santee Cooper's leadership in driving innovative, large-scale energy solutions that strengthen grid reliability across the region.
Scheduled to be operational during the 2027-2028 winter season, the Pinopolis Reliability Project will improve grid stability and operational flexibility by storing energy during periods of low demand and making it available during peak periods. This investment represents an important step in modernizing South Carolina's energy infrastructure and ensuring reliable and efficient service to meet the state's growing electricity needs.
“Our customer base is growing rapidly and Santee Cooper is committed to providing reliable and sustainable electricity for everyone,” Staton said. “Our board today also approved proposed bond financing for these projects, subject to Joint Bond Review Committee (JBRC) approval, which will allow us to utilize low-cost, tax-exempt funds to spread project costs over the life of the assets.”
Specifically, the Board authorized Santee Cooper to seek JBRC approval to fund an initial $120 million in costs for Canadys and expected construction costs for the Winyah CTs ($293 million) and the planned combined cycle conversion for the Rainey Generating Station ($201 million), along with $71 million for other capacity expansion activities. If approved by the JBRC, these bonds would likely be issued in one or more transactions beginning in 2026.