Hotly debated energy proposal in SC stalls. Will it get lifeline to survive?

A controversial and wide reaching energy bill that seemed fast tracked for passage, despite public criticism, now needs a lifeline to even be debated in the Senate before the end of session.

Following a slew of hearings and hours of public testimony, the South Carolina Energy Security Act — which, among other things, would have paved the way for Santee Cooper to partner with Dominion Energy in constructing a large natural gas plant — appeared to have a clear, fast track to becoming law. That is, until Senate Majority Leader Shane Massey, R-Edgefield, expressed concern over the legislation earlier this month, suggesting his colleagues take more time to fully evaluate the bill in the fall.

Rather than wait, state Sen. Tom Davis, R-Beaufort, who drafted a companion bill that amended the House version, is still pushing, and hopeful, for its passage this session. But the only way that’ll happen, Davis says, is if the proposal is extremely shaved down.

“It’s been incumbent upon me to take this 80 page bill and whittle it down to about 15 pages in a way that is meaningful, clear, and concise,” Davis said.

Now, Davis says he must work to convince his colleagues in the Republican caucus to support a motion for special order in favor of H. 5118, and he only has until the end of this week to do it.

Massey’s suggestion to stall the bill garnered bipartisan support as several senators cited their own concerns with the proposed legislation, its potential impact on the ratepayers and their memories and lasting impact of VC Summer. This included state state Sen. Margie Bright Matthews, D-Colleton, whose district encompasses the newly proposed Canadys natural gas plant.

“It’s not going to go anywhere in here either,” Massey told state Rep. Gerald Malloy, D-Darlington, this month while discussing H. 5118 on the Senate floor.

Because the energy act is contested, a special order motion is likely needed before it can be brought up for debate on the floor. Only Massey has the power to raise such a motion, if a majority of the Republican caucus supports it. With 30 members making up the Senate Republican caucus, Davis would need to secure support from at least 15 of his colleagues.

State Sen. Wes Climer, R-York, said he would be amenable to a more “digestible” version of the bill.

“If the bill is simplified, and more people understand it, I could see support for that,” Climer said.

Davis said he plans to chisel the bill down to focus on four areas, which include strengthening the Public Service Commission, expanding the Energy Freedom Act to help level the playing field between utilities and independent power producers, protecting rate payer interests and adopting energy efficiency incentives.

“My sense is that (my colleagues) will consider what I have to offer in good faith, and they will then make a determination based on how well I can make the case,” Davis said. “There’s where I see things going, and we’ll see in the next three days where that leaves us.”