South Carolina does not have a comprehensive climate agenda as the Republicans who currently dominate state politics have not prioritised the issue. That is in contrast to former Republican Governor Mark Sanford, who signed an executive order in 2007 to establish a task force to address climate change in the state. The current governor, Republican Henry McMaster, has signed legislation that helped expand access to solar, established a commission to deal with flooding and invested in clean public buses. However, he has not signalled that he would back a renewable portfolio standard or wide-ranging adaptation and resilience measures. The major utilities in the state, Dominion and Santee Cooper own nuclear power, which makes up almost 60 percent of the state’s electricity generation. The two utilities had planned to invest $9 billion into building new nuclear plants but abandoned the projects. Only a small portion of electricity generation comes from hydroelectric power, solar and biomass. Some cities in the state, however, such as Charleston, have put together long-term plans to mitigate climate risks and to cut emissions.
SHORT-TERM OUTLOOK THROUGH 2025 – SOUTH CAROLINA
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