The "South Carolina Ratepayer Protection and Large Load Customer Infrastructure Accountability Act" aims to regulate the relationship between large load customers—defined as electrical customers with a projected peak demand of at least 50MW—and electrical utilities. The bill prohibits utilities from recovering incremental costs incurred to serve large load customers from other customer classes, ensuring ratepayer neutrality. It establishes contract requirements for large load customers, including participation in demand response programs or payment for increased reliability costs, and mandates that the Public Service Commission (PSC) review these contracts to ensure they do not shift costs to other customers. Additionally, large load customers must provide annual reports detailing their energy usage and any incentives received from state or local governments.

The bill also introduces new requirements for potential large load customers regarding public notice and local governmental certifications before receiving permits or incentives. It mandates that these customers submit plans for water resource usage to the Department of Environmental Services, including contingency plans for drought situations. The act emphasizes transparency and accountability in the incentives offered to large load customers, ensuring that any incentives are performance-based and do not impose disproportionate burdens on local communities. Overall, the legislation seeks to balance economic development with the protection of existing ratepayers and environmental considerations.

Statutes affected:
02/19/2026: 13-1-80, 6-29-550, 49-1-100
Latest Version: 13-1-80, 6-29-550, 49-1-100