South Carolina Electric & Gas Company proposed two resource plans based on the least cost options from 19 scenarios that were modeled for its 2019 integrated resource plan filed with the South Carolina Public Service Commission on Feb. 8. The plans, which detail resource needs from 2019 through 2033, reflect a shortage in base capacity by the winter of 2019. One of the options proposes to add 540 megawatts of natural gas combined cycle generation in 2029. The other seeks to obtain 400 megawatts of solar power purchase contracts with no winter capacity in 2026, and add three 93-megawatt internal combustion turbines in 2029, 2031, and 2033.

• The combined cycle plan would add another 540-megawatt plant in the winter of 2040, while the solar option would add seven more 93-megawatt gas peakers from 2035 through 2046.
• The plans show a decrease in capacity of 85 megawatts in 2019 from the loss of the Kapstone generator and 25 megawatts from the expiration of a power purchase contract with Santee Cooper; Kapstone, owned by SCE&G until last year, generates power using coal and biomass.
• The company’s 2019 existing capacity totals to about 5.9 gigawatts of winter capacity, which includes 1.7 gigawatts from coal, 350 megawatts from gas-fired steam, 660 megawatts from nuclear, 2.4 gigawatts from gas turbines, and 800 megawatts from hydro.
• SCE&G observes that since 2017, there has been an increase in interest from independent power producers seeking to interconnect non-DER solar projects.
• Currently, there are about 280 megawatts of non-DER utility scale solar farms in operation on SCE&G’s system; 48 megawatts of DER utility scale solar farms in operation; and 16 megawatts of community solar farms planned or in operation.
• The company expects its supply plans to be “as benign to the environment as possible” owing to its continuing efforts to apply advanced emissions reduction technology to comply with state and federal laws.
• South Carolina Gas & Electric is a subsidiary of Dominion Energy Inc.