Santee Cooper Responds to Load Growth
2025 Sustainability Report
Santee Cooper is taking action to meet rising energy demands with a proactive approach. By deploying advanced load forecasting and introducing an experimental rate for large-scale users, the utility is working to identify demand surges early and manage them strategically—ensuring it can continue delivering reliable, affordable electricity to its customers.
In fact, Santee Cooper’s innovative Potential Large Load forecasting has been lauded by its peers and has been suggested as a model to other utilities by industry groups and regulators. Santee Cooper takes a risk-minimizing and progressive approach to projecting new large load customers to ensure that we have enough resources to serve them without adding risk to existing customers.
So, how does this benefit the customer? First is the load forecast, which is a wide-ranging team effort involving experts from all corners of South Carolina. Santee Cooper works hand-in-hand with its industrial services group, staff at Central Electric Power Cooperative and 19 other member cooperatives across the state. Our team is in constant touch with industrial customers and cooperatives about potential big loads.
Second, local knowledge plays a huge role; experts closest to the potential load centers share insights on what new customers might need in the future. This isn’t just chatting – it combines with quantitative modeling that factors in population growth, changes in usage patterns, economic shifts and industrial growth. The result? A robust forecast that predicts future demand spikes.
What data makes this possible? The forecast draws from a broad mix: state and county economic activity projections from research firms, actual Santee Cooper customer usage stats, twenty years of weather data and other datasets. Expert projections add high-quality, detailed info. This accurate modeling helps us plan our costs and rates precisely. Better forecasts mean smarter investments in generation and infrastructure, which directly stabilizes rates for all ratepayers.
Environmental considerations get attention, too. The methodology looks at integrating renewables and smarter load balancing to avoid reliability issues. The forecast builds in ways to handle challenges like storms, data center surges, or sudden EV charging spikes, keeping the system stable and rates predictable.
“Innovation isn’t just about finding the next big opportunity; sometimes it’s about anticipating issues and creating solutions before they become a problem,” said Senior Director of Financial Planning Greg McCormack.
On the rates side, Santee Cooper offers practical solutions. For residential customers with EVs, there’s a discounted overnight charging period. This encourages folks to plug in during low-demand times, reducing the need for new power plants or expensive upgrades. Everyone benefits from lower overall system costs.
The new Large Load rate is designed to protect residential customers. It charges new large loads based on the costs we incur to serve them, such as building new infrastructure for their load. This ensures existing customers aren’t short-changed as big projects come online. Santee Cooper also offers non-firm rates for industrial customers. These rates offer discounts if users agree to curtail power during high-load times. The savings from Santee Cooper’s ability to curtail this load creates savings that lower costs for all customers. It’s a smart way to manage peaks without building extra capacity.
Overall, this approach highlights Santee Cooper’s commitment to its customers. By forecasting accurately and pricing fairly, we reduce the need for costly new generation. Storms or surges won’t throw things off balance as easily. Residential EV owners save on charging, industrial customers get options to lower bills responsibly by otherwise benefitting the system, and everyone enjoys more stable rates. It’s a balanced strategy that supports growth while putting South Carolina ratepayers first.
“By reimagining how we design rates and plan for load, Santee Cooper created a framework for how a modern utility can drive economic growth in the state while protecting existing customers,” said McCormack.
In the end, Santee Cooper knows that thoughtful planning pays off. As the state evolves, this load forecast and rate structure ensure power stays affordable and reliable for generations to come. If you’re a customer, these changes mean peace of mind, and maybe even lower bills down the line.