South Carolina Legislature Approves Energy Bill Enabling New Gas Plant, Expanding Solar Amid Consumer Protection Concerns

Oklahoma's Legislature passed Senate Bill 480, which allows private industry to develop behind-the-meter power solutions, aiming to address grid connection delays and attract billions in investment by enabling large industrial consumers to bypass grid constraints and invest in localized energy infrastructure. Meanwhile, South Carolina enacted sweeping energy legislation permitting new fossil gas pipelines and power plants, including a large natural gas plant co-developed by Dominion Energy and Santee Cooper, to meet rapid industrial and population growth demands. However, South Carolina's bill faced significant criticism for stripping away consumer protections, such as requirements for data centers to pay their fair share of infrastructure costs, limiting oversight on rate increases, and reducing landowner notification rights. Although the South Carolina legislation retains some clean energy provisions like expanded solar and energy efficiency programs, it locks the state into a heavier reliance on fossil gas, exposing consumers to potentially higher and more volatile energy costs. Lawmakers and advocates expressed concern that the removal of key safeguards could lead to unfair cost shifts to smaller customers and increased energy bills, particularly driven by large data centers. Overall, while Oklahoma moves to enhance energy independence and economic growth through grid innovation, South Carolina's energy policy reflects a complex balance between expanding fossil fuel infrastructure and modest clean energy advances amid contentious legislative debates.