South Carolina is growing — and so is the demand for reliable, affordable electricity. As new homes, businesses and industries move in, Santee Cooper is taking a sustainable, forward-looking approach to ensure we can meet the energy needs of tomorrow. That means investing in new generation and infrastructure responsibly, efficiently and with our customers’ long-term interests at the center of every decision.
Sustainable Planning for a Growing State
By planning ahead, Santee Cooper is building into growth. New generation projects will support the state’s expanding population and economic development, ensuring that we can continue providing reliable, resilient power for decades to come. As our customer base grows, the cost of these projects will be shared across more customers, helping maintain affordability over time — a critical component of long-term financial sustainability.
Smart, Low-Impact Financing
Sustainability also means using resources wisely. As a public power utility, Santee Cooper has access to tax-exempt, low-cost financing that allows us to build major projects in the most cost-effective way possible.
In February 2025, the Santee Cooper Board of Directors approved a $1 billion bond sale to support new generation and system investments. The bonds will be issued in phases as funding is needed, helping minimize carrying costs while maintaining flexibility. This approach ensures Santee Cooper can take advantage of favorable market conditions and continue delivering reliable power while managing long-term costs responsibly.
And by spreading costs over the life of an asset — often 30 years or more — Santee Cooper also ensures that the customers who benefit from these facilities are the ones helping pay for them.
This financing model results in significant long-term savings, benefiting both Santee Cooper and our bondholders.
Efficient, Environmentally Responsible Development
Santee Cooper is working to make every investment count. By building several generation projects concurrently, we can leverage economies of scale, reducing environmental impact through more efficient procurement and construction practices.
We’re also locating projects on existing or brownfield sites whenever possible and using infrastructure already in place to lower costs, reduce land disturbance and streamline development — all key principles of environmental sustainability.
Growth That Pays for Growth
As large industries and data centers join Santee Cooper’s customer base, their energy needs will be funded through our large-load rate, ensuring those costs are carried by the customers who create them.
Transparent, Customer-Centered Decisions
Although we expect some rate impacts from future generation projects, these sustainability-focused strategies help us work to keep those any increases within the rate of inflation. As a public power provider without shareholders, our decisions are guided by our customers. Any rate adjustments will follow a transparent process, including an extensive rate study and multiple opportunities for customer and community input.
Santee Cooper is investing in South Carolina’s future with a sustainable, transparent and fiscally responsible plan — ensuring reliable, affordable energy for generations to come.