South Carolina Senator Greg Hembree prefiled an offshore wind bill on December 3, pushing the state’s offshore wind research and development activities to a point where they would ensure a safe path to utilizing the state’s vast offshore wind resources.
Senator Hembree proposes that South Carolina Public Service Commission adopts regulations under which power utilities would invest in offshore wind R&D. This would provide “incentives and cost recovery for energy suppliers and distributors who invest in offshore wind R&D activities that are intended to result in economic development opportunities related to the manufacturing and deployment of offshore wind.”
The senator highlighted the importance of offshore wind for the state’s economic development by saying that its activities would create long term, well paying jobs for the community.
Under the bill, research and development activities would include demonstration projects of less than 75 megawatts.
Senate Bill S-166 has been referred to Committee on Judiciary for consideration.
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Offshore WIND Staff; Image: IREC (Illustration)