This commentary was originally published in the Post and Courier. By Faith Rivers James, Executive Director
Ten years ago, the oil industry and federal government attempted to open the door to oil drilling in the ocean near our beaches. The Coastal Conservation League, along with many partners, fought that effort, and there is now a bipartisan, community-wide consensus that oil drilling on our coast should not — and will not — be allowed.
Gasoline usage in the United States has declined between 6% and 7% in the past six years with increasing motor vehicle fuel efficiency, and experts expect this decline to continue with the growth of electric vehicle sales. Looking back, our community was wise not to sacrifice our unique, irreplaceable ecosystem in exchange for short-term gains associated with a fossil fuel economy that most of the world is working to replace.
Today, we are witnessing the return of out-of-state oil and gas interests seeking to gain a hugely expanded, polluting foothold in South Carolina. Because power plants are the biggest users of pipeline gas, those who drill for and sell fossil gas are teaming up with our local utility companies to change state law to lock consumers into buying gas-fired power for decades to come.
The American Petroleum Institute and our local utilities have testified in favor of H.5118, which would establish the Legislature’s support for numerous large new fossil-fueled power plants while decreasing support for renewable energy. One of the largest power plants would be built on the Edisto River and would require new pipelines across sensitive wetlands in the ACE Basin or across rural hamlets along the Savannah. The pipelines would be funded through an additional charge on your electric bill.
Unwisely, the legislation would also empower state agencies with expedited pipeline and power plant approval and with helping to provide legal support and financing for the pipelines. The bill would also remove the budget for the state-funded consumer advocate to fight customer rate increases. Instead, the bill would consolidate the consumer advocate’s activities with an agency instructed to support the finances of the utility companies. In these ways and others, the bill would weaken or remove the protective functions of the state government, and turn the government against any unfortunate citizens who will have their land taken away through the condemnation power granted to the pipeline companies.
All of these legislative proposals would increase the rights of pipeline and utility companies to the detriment of our rights, our environment and our land heritage.
None of this drastic government intrusion on behalf of the fossil fuel industry is needed to meet our energy needs. The Conservation League has proposed viable solutions for our electric power needs that balance economic growth, communities and the environment. Our recommendations include expanded renewable energy with responsible backup by more modest fossil fuel usage as well as newer battery technology. Many people do not realize that last year, grid-scale batteries were the largest source of new electric capacity across the nation, so it is exactly the wrong time for our Legislature to take our state in the opposite direction, away from the new technology and back toward the old.
Additionally, our utilities can follow the example of the majority of states where utilities effectively coordinate meeting varying power needs through a competitive wholesale market. An official state-funded study estimated a regional wholesale market would reduce power costs by more than $300 million per year while avoiding the need for some of the proposed new power plant construction.
In the offshore drilling campaign, when we sounded the alarm, communities made clear which direction we needed to take. Again, we issue a clarion call to those who love our state and land. We must urge our leaders to develop more creative solutions to our energy and economic growth needs without despoiling the communities and natural landscapes that the oil and gas companies are targeting for their fossil fuel power plants and pipelines.
We remain solution-oriented but also vigilant, resisting the push to make multi-decade investments in expanded fossil fuel infrastructure while newer technology is increasingly replacing it before our eyes. In another decade, as with offshore oil drilling, we will look back and be glad we did.