COLUMBIA, S.C. — South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster announced a new energy advisory group task with ensuring secure power throughout the state.
McMaster signed an executive order late Friday afternoon creating the powerSC Energy Resources and Economic Development Interagency Working Group.
It came at the end of a day long South Carolina Energy Summit in downtown Columbia, bringing together leaders in energy and state government. They discussed the status of renewable resources in the Palmetto State like natural gas and coal.
“Our future as we continue to evolve and likely retire coal over the next 15 years that gas is going to be necessary,” a panelist said.
In conjunction with this conversation, Gov. McMaster discussed how the state will keep up with changes in energy in the state.
“[The executive order] refers to our power plan which is already required by law and it requires reports and it refers to all of the government agencies involved,” the governor said.
The group will form reports in conjunction with other government agencies and listen to public input to help evaluate a need for energy resources in the state, especially in natural disasters.
“If we have power that’s steady an reliable it means the light won’t go off," McMaster added. "People in hospitals will have redundancy and have generators to be able to stay on."
The governor also noted this order comes after South Carolina announced more than 700 economic development projects, $32.5 billion in investments, and 81,000 jobs over the next six years, including Scout Motors, a company that will build electric vehicles.
Gov. McMaster said the executive order to form this energy evaluation group went into effect immediately.