South Carolina Quick Facts
- Natural gas deliveries to South Carolina's electric power sector increased more than 60% in the past decade, rising from 116 billion cubic feet of natural gas in 2012 to 190 billion cubic feet in 2022.
- South Carolina’s per capita natural gas consumption ranks among the lowest one-fourth of the states, due in part to the state's mild winters. About one in four households in the state rely on natural gas for heating.
- South Carolina’s four nuclear power plants supplied 55% of the state’s total electricity net generation in 2022, and the state was the third-largest producer of nuclear power in the nation.
- South Carolina’s industrial sector, which includes the manufacture of chemicals, motor vehicles, and paper products, is its largest end-use energy sector and accounts for about one-third of the state’s total energy consumption.
- South Carolina ranks among the top 10 states in residential sector per capita electricity use, and about 70% of state households heat with electricity and nearly all of them have electric air conditioning.
Last Updated: February 15, 2024
Data
Last Update: April 18, 2024 | Next Update: May 16, 2024
| Prices | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Petroleum | South Carolina | U.S. Average | Period | find more | |
| Domestic Crude Oil First Purchase | -- | $ 72.26 /barrel | Jan-24 | ||
| Natural Gas | South Carolina | U.S. Average | Period | find more | |
| City Gate | $ 5.00 /thousand cu ft | $ 4.76 /thousand cu ft | Jan-24 | find more | |
| Residential | $ 13.92 /thousand cu ft | $ 11.82 /thousand cu ft | Jan-24 | find more | |
| Coal | South Carolina | U.S. Average | Period | find more | |
| Average Sales Price | -- | $ 54.46 /short ton | 2022 | ||
| Delivered to Electric Power Sector | $ 3.24 /million Btu | $ 2.48 /million Btu | Jan-24 | ||
| Electricity | South Carolina | U.S. Average | Period | find more | |
| Residential | 13.54 cents/kWh | 15.45 cents/kWh | Jan-24 | find more | |
| Commercial | 10.79 cents/kWh | 12.68 cents/kWh | Jan-24 | find more | |
| Industrial | 7.16 cents/kWh | 8.10 cents/kWh | Jan-24 | find more | |
| Reserves | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reserves | South Carolina | Share of U.S. | Period | find more | |
| Crude Oil (as of Dec. 31) | -- | -- | 2021 | find more | |
| Expected Future Production of Dry Natural Gas (as of Dec. 31) | -- | -- | 2021 | find more | |
| Expected Future Production of Natural Gas Plant Liquids | -- | -- | 2021 | find more | |
| Recoverable Coal at Producing Mines | -- | -- | 2022 | find more | |
| Rotary Rigs & Wells | South Carolina | Share of U.S. | Period | find more | |
| Natural Gas Producing Wells | -- | -- | 2020 | find more | |
| Capacity | South Carolina | Share of U.S. | Period | ||
| Crude Oil Refinery Capacity (as of Jan. 1) | -- | -- | 2023 | ||
| Electric Power Industry Net Summer Capacity | 24,449 MW | 2.1% | Jan-24 | ||
| Supply & Distribution | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Production | South Carolina | Share of U.S. | Period | find more | |
| Total Energy | 716 trillion Btu | 0.7% | 2021 | find more | |
| Crude Oil | -- | -- | Jan-24 | find more | |
| Natural Gas - Marketed | -- | -- | 2022 | find more | |
| Coal | -- | -- | 2022 | find more | |
| Total Utility-Scale Net Electricity Generation | South Carolina | Share of U.S. | Period | find more | |
| Total Net Electricity Generation | 9,133 thousand MWh | 2.4% | Jan-24 | ||
| Utility-Scale Net Electricity Generation (share of total) | South Carolina | U.S. Average | Period | ||
| Petroleum-Fired | 0.2 % | 0.4 % | Jan-24 | find more | |
| Natural Gas-Fired | 19.6 % | 42.2 % | Jan-24 | find more | |
| Coal-Fired | 17.8 % | 19.9 % | Jan-24 | find more | |
| Nuclear | 55.1 % | 18.2 % | Jan-24 | find more | |
| Renewables | 7.3 % | 18.8 % | Jan-24 | ||
| Stocks | South Carolina | Share of U.S. | Period | find more | |
| Motor Gasoline (Excludes Pipelines) | 110 thousand barrels | 0.9% | Jan-24 | ||
| Distillate Fuel Oil (Excludes Pipelines) | 762 thousand barrels | 0.8% | Jan-24 | find more | |
| Natural Gas in Underground Storage | -- | -- | Jan-24 | find more | |
| Petroleum Stocks at Electric Power Producers | 493 thousand barrels | 2.2% | Jan-24 | find more | |
| Coal Stocks at Electric Power Producers | 2,513 thousand tons | 2.1% | Jan-24 | find more | |
| Fueling Stations | South Carolina | Share of U.S. | Period | ||
| Motor Gasoline | 2,587 stations | 2.3% | 2021 | ||
| Propane | 34 stations | 1.4% | Mar-24 | ||
| Electric Vehicle Charging Locations | 512 stations | 0.8% | Mar-24 | ||
| E85 | 55 stations | 1.3% | Mar-24 | ||
| Biodiesel, Compressed Natural Gas, and Other Alternative Fuels | 9 stations | 0.3% | Mar-24 | ||
| Consumption & Expenditures | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Summary | South Carolina | U.S. Rank | Period | ||
| Total Consumption | 1,631 trillion Btu | 23 | 2021 | find more | |
| Total Consumption per Capita | 314 million Btu | 21 | 2021 | find more | |
| Total Expenditures | $ 21,009 million | 23 | 2021 | find more | |
| Total Expenditures per Capita | $ 4,045 | 25 | 2021 | find more | |
| by End-Use Sector | South Carolina | Share of U.S. | Period | ||
| Consumption | |||||
| » Residential | 373 trillion Btu | 1.8% | 2021 | find more | |
| » Commercial | 262 trillion Btu | 1.5% | 2021 | find more | |
| » Industrial | 517 trillion Btu | 1.6% | 2021 | find more | |
| » Transportation | 479 trillion Btu | 1.8% | 2021 | find more | |
| Expenditures | |||||
| » Residential | $ 4,681 million | 1.7% | 2021 | find more | |
| » Commercial | $ 2,769 million | 1.4% | 2021 | find more | |
| » Industrial | $ 3,102 million | 1.3% | 2021 | find more | |
| » Transportation | $ 10,457 million | 1.7% | 2021 | find more | |
| by Source | South Carolina | Share of U.S. | Period | ||
| Consumption | |||||
| » Petroleum | 101 million barrels | 1.4% | 2021 | find more | |
| » Natural Gas | 351 billion cu ft | 1.1% | 2022 | find more | |
| » Coal | 6,174 thousand short tons | 1.2% | 2022 | find more | |
| Expenditures | |||||
| » Petroleum | $ 11,582 million | 1.5% | 2021 | find more | |
| » Natural Gas | $ 3,111 million | 1.2% | 2022 | find more | |
| » Coal | $ 539 million | 2.0% | 2022 | find more | |
| Consumption for Electricity Generation | South Carolina | Share of U.S. | Period | find more | |
| Petroleum | 45 thousand barrels | 1.6% | Jan-24 | find more | |
| Natural Gas | 12,770 million cu ft | 1.1% | Jan-24 | find more | |
| Coal | 716 thousand tons | 1.7% | Jan-24 | find more | |
| Energy Source Used for Home Heating (share of households) | South Carolina | U.S. Average | Period | ||
| Natural Gas | 23.3 % | 46.2 % | 2022 | ||
| Fuel Oil | 0.5 % | 3.9 % | 2022 | ||
| Electricity | 71.1 % | 41.3 % | 2022 | ||
| Propane | 3.5 % | 5.0 % | 2022 | ||
| Other/None | 1.7 % | 3.5 % | 2022 | ||
| Environment | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Renewable Energy Capacity | South Carolina | Share of U.S. | Period | find more | |
| Total Renewable Energy Electricity Net Summer Capacity | 3,217 MW | 1.0% | Jan-24 | ||
| Ethanol Plant Nameplate Capacity | -- | -- | 2023 | ||
| Renewable Energy Production | South Carolina | Share of U.S. | Period | find more | |
| Utility-Scale Hydroelectric Net Electricity Generation | 329 thousand MWh | 1.5% | Jan-24 | ||
| Utility-Scale Solar, Wind, and Geothermal Net Electricity Generation | 159 thousand MWh | 0.3% | Jan-24 | ||
| Utility-Scale Biomass Net Electricity Generation | 181 thousand MWh | 4.4% | Jan-24 | ||
| Small-Scale Solar Photovoltaic Generation | 43 thousand MWh | 0.9% | Jan-24 | ||
| Fuel Ethanol Production | 0 thousand barrels | 0.0% | 2021 | ||
| Renewable Energy Consumption | South Carolina | U.S. Rank | Period | find more | |
| Renewable Energy Consumption as a Share of State Total | 10.5 % | 27 | 2021 | ||
| Fuel Ethanol Consumption | 6,559 thousand barrels | 19 | 2021 | ||
| Total Emissions | South Carolina | Share of U.S. | Period | find more | |
| Carbon Dioxide | 69.3 million metric tons | 1.4% | 2021 | ||
| Electric Power Industry Emissions | South Carolina | Share of U.S. | Period | find more | |
| Carbon Dioxide | 24,857 thousand metric tons | 1.5% | 2022 | ||
| Sulfur Dioxide | 21 thousand metric tons | 1.9% | 2022 | ||
| Nitrogen Oxide | 16 thousand metric tons | 1.3% | 2022 | ||
Analysis
Last Updated: February 15, 2024
Overview
South Carolina is located on the U.S. East Coast halfway between New York City and Miami. The state has renewable energy resources, and even though it does not have any economically recoverable fossil fuel reserves, the state produces considerable amounts of nuclear power.1,2,3 South Carolina's topography gradually rises from its Atlantic Ocean islands in the southeast to the Blue Ridge Mountains in the northwest. Hurricanes and tropical storms occasionally strike South Carolina or come close to its coastline, and they can damage the state's power plants, electric grid, and other energy infrastructure. South Carolina ranks fifth among states that have taken the most direct hits from hurricanes. The coastal plain, which covers two-thirds of South Carolina, is known as the Low Country and extends westward across the swamps and flatlands of the outer coastal plain to the fertile low hills of South Carolina's inner coastal plain until it reaches the Fall Line, an area of waterfalls and rapids. The remaining one-third of the state, known as the Up Country, includes the forested hills of the Piedmont region and South Carolina's mountains.4,5,6 The state is crossed by many large rivers that flow from the Up Country to the ocean, and South Carolina's rivers and lakes contain considerable hydropower potential.7 Two-thirds of South Carolina land area is covered with forests, and the wood waste from the state's forests, lumber mills, and wood products industry yields significant biomass resources.8 Methane from waste landfills in more densely populated areas provides South Carolina with an additional biomass resource.9
South Carolina uses more than twice as much energy as it produces.
South Carolina consumes more than twice as much energy as it produces, and its energy consumption and energy production each rank near the midpoint of the states.10,11,12 The industrial sector consumes the most energy and accounts for 32% of South Carolina's total energy use.13 Manufacturing activities are a major contributor to South Carolina's GDP and include: chemicals; motor vehicle assembly; electrical equipment and computers; paper and wood products; plastics and rubber; machinery; and beverage and food products.14,15 The transportation sector is the second-largest energy-consuming sector and accounts for about 29% of the state's energy use, primarily as motor gasoline and diesel fuel.16,17 South Carolina's coastal islands, beaches, and mild winters draw tourists and new residents, propelling the state into the top 10 in population growth from 2010 to 2020. The residential sector consumes about 23% of the state's energy and the commercial sector accounts for about 16%.18,19,20,21
Electricity
In 2022, South Carolina ranked third in the nation in nuclear power generation.
Nuclear energy is the leading source of electricity generation in South Carolina and produced 55% of total in-state electricity in 2022.22 South Carolina ranks third in the nation, after Illinois and Pennsylvania, in both nuclear power generating capacity and the amount of electricity generated by nuclear energy.23 There are a total of eight operating reactors at four nuclear power plants in the state.24 Four of the five largest power plants by generation in South Carolina are nuclear. They are the three-reactor Oconee nuclear facility, the two-reactor Catawba station, the single-reactor Summer plant, and the single-reactor Robinson plant.25 The Robinson generating station was the first commercial nuclear power plant in the Southeast and it was the largest U.S. generating plant when it came online in 1971.26
Natural gas fuels four of South Carolina's ten largest power plants by both capacity and generation.27 The amount of electricity generated in the state from natural gas more than doubled between 2014 and 2022, with natural gas accounting for 24% of the state's generation in 2022.28 Natural gas-fired generation exceeded the state's coal-fired generation for the first time in 2018. In 2022, South Carolina's four coal-fired power plants accounted for 14% of total generation, less than half as much electricity as coal provided in 2014. The state's second-largest coal-fired power plant, with 1,130 megawatts in generating capacity, is scheduled to close at the end of 2028.29,30 Almost all of the state's remaining electricity generation, about 7%, was provided by renewable resources, including solar power, hydroelectric power, and biomass consisting of wood waste and landfill gas.31
South Carolina generates about one-tenth more electricity than it consumes and sends its surplus power across the regional grid to other states.32 South Carolina ranks among the top one-fifth of the states in per capita total electricity sales, in part because of the high demand for air conditioning during the state's hot and humid summer months.33,34 The residential sector accounts for the largest share of electricity sales—about 39% of the state's total. About 7 in 10 South Carolina households use electricity as their primary energy source for home heating and nearly all households use electricity for air conditioning.35,36 South Carolina ranks among the top 10 states in residential sector per capita electricity use.37
Petroleum
South Carolina has no crude oil reserves or production, and there are no petroleum refineries in the state.38,39 All petroleum products arrive from out of state, and most enter South Carolina at the Port of Charleston or by way of two major refined product pipelines from the Gulf Coast: the Colonial Pipeline and the PPL Pipeline (formerly known as the Plantation Pipeline).40,41,42,43
South Carolina’s per capita motor gasoline expenditures rank among the top 10 states.
South Carolina's total and per capita petroleum consumption rank near the middle of all the states.44 The transportation sector consumes about 9 out of 10 barrels of the petroleum used in the state, most of which is motor gasoline and diesel fuel.45,46 South Carolina ranks among the top 10 states in per capita motor gasoline expenditures, in part because of sales to nonresidents who travel on the state's major interstate corridors along the Eastern Seaboard.47,48 The sale of conventional gasoline without ethanol is allowed statewide, although most gasoline sold in the United States is blended with at least 10% ethanol.49,50,51 South Carolina has no fuel ethanol production plants, but the state accounts for about 2% of U.S. ethanol consumption.52,53 South Carolina has one biodiesel plant with an annual production capacity of about 5 million gallons, but the state consumes almost 17 million gallons yearly, equal to less than 1% of U.S. total biodiesel use.54,55 Only 4 in 100 South Carolina households rely on petroleum products, mainly propane, for home heating.56
Natural gas
South Carolina has no economically recoverable natural gas reserves or production.57,58 All natural gas consumed in the state arrives by way of interstate pipelines. Several major interstate pipeline systems transport natural gas from the Gulf Coast, and the supply enters South Carolina through Georgia.59 Slightly more than half of the natural gas that South Carolina receives continues to northern markets through North Carolina and to the south through Georgia.60
Natural gas consumption by South Carolina’s electric power sector increased more than 60% in the last decade.
South Carolina's per capita natural gas consumption ranks among the lowest one-fourth of the states, but its total natural gas use is near the midpoint of the states.61 Over the past decade, natural gas use in South Carolina has increased the most in the electric power sector, where consumption rose more than 60% from 2012 to 2022.62,63 South Carolina's electric power sector use of natural gas has exceeded that of any other energy-consuming sector since 2009 and accounted for slightly more than half of the state's total natural gas consumption in 2022. Industrial sector natural gas demand was at the second-highest level since 1999 and accounted for about three-tenths of the state's total natural gas use.64 The residential sector accounted for about one-tenth of the state's natural gas consumption. Winters are generally mild, and overall demand for heating in the state is relatively low. About one in four households in the state use natural gas for home heating. The commercial sector made up about 7% of the state's natural gas use.65,66,67
Renewable energy
In 2022, South Carolina’s total solar power generation was about four times larger than in 2018.
Solar energy, hydropower, and biomass are South Carolina's primary renewable resources used for generating electricity and accounted for about 7% of total in-state net generation in 2022.68 An increasing amount of South Carolina's renewable electricity generation comes from solar energy, which surpassed biomass-fueled generation in 2020 for the first time and conventional hydropower in 2021. Solar power accounted for 3% of the state's total net generation in 2022, with total solar electricity generation about four times greater than 2018. All the state's new utility-scale (1 megawatt or larger) generating capacity that came online in 2023—about 360 megawatts—was powered by solar energy.69,70
There are 34 utility-scale hydroelectric generating plants in South Carolina, including several large pumped-storage facilities—one of which is the fourth-largest generating facility in the state, with 1,520 megawatts of generating capacity. South Carolina is third among the states with the most pumped-storage hydropower capacity, about 12% of the U.S. total.71,72,73 Pumped-storage facilities, which consume more energy than they generate, consume electricity during periods of low electricity demand, typically at night when electricity is less costly to pump water from a lower reservoir to an upper reservoir. Then, during periods when electricity demand and prices are higher, the water is released from the upper reservoir to the lower reservoir. As the water flows down to the lower reservoir, it flows through generating turbines producing electricity.74 Most of the conventional hydroelectric facilities, which accounted for about 2% of net generation in 2022, are located in the northwestern part of the state.75,76
South Carolina ranks in the top 10 states in total biomass-fueled generation, which accounted for 2% of the state's generation in 2022.77,78 With nearly 13 million acres of forest that cover about two-thirds of the state, forestry is a leading industry in South Carolina, and there are 8 utility-scale power plants in the state that burn wood and wood waste for generating electricity.79,80,81,82 The state's biomass resources also provide feedstock for two wood pellet manufacturing plants, which have a combined production capacity of about 583,000 tons per year.83
South Carolina has 10 landfill gas-fueled generating facilities. In 2001, Santee Cooper became the first utility in the state to produce electricity with methane gas from landfills.84,85 The state's first utility-scale anaerobic digester project came online in 2011, and generates power from methane gas captured from manure at a hog farm.86,87 An anaerobic digester project that uses poultry waste to generate electricity began operations in 2013.88 The state's first renewable natural gas project began in 2023 converting landfill gas into RNG, which is distributed through the local natural gas pipeline system.89,90 South Carolina also has biomass resources in the form of agricultural residues from corn, wheat, and soybean crops.91
South Carolina does not have substantial onshore wind energy resources, but it does have offshore wind potential.92 In May 2022, the U.S. Department of the Interior leased two areas for wind power development in federal waters located off the North Carolina-South Carolina border coastline. The Carolina Long Bay leased areas total 110,000 acres.93,94 While the state does not currently have any installed utility-scale wind generating capacity, it has several manufacturers and assemblers of wind turbine components.95 South Carolina also has low-temperature geothermal resources, but they are mostly used for geothermal heat pumps that provide heating and cooling in commercial and residential buildings.96
In 2014, South Carolina's legislature authorized the creation of a voluntary Distributed Energy Resource Program for electric utilities. The program's goal was to increase in-state renewable electricity generating capacity and allow participating utilities to recover costs related to their renewable generation target. Its target was for 2% of a participating utility's aggregate generating capacity to be fueled by renewable resources by 2021. That goal was met when renewables fueled 12% of the state's total utility-scale generating capacity at facilities that were 1 megawatt or larger at the end of 2021.97,98 The share of South Carolina's renewable generating capacity increased to 13% of the total generating capacity by the end of 2022.99 The state also provides financial incentives for households and businesses to install solar panel systems and geothermal heat pumps.100,101
Coal
South Carolina has no coal production and no economically recoverable coal reserves.102 Coal is used in the state almost exclusively for electricity generation, although the amount of coal-fired generation in South Carolina has declined over the past decade. In 2022, in-state coal-fired generation was about half of what it was in 2012. Almost all the coal needed for the coal-fired power plants arrives by rail from Kentucky, Illinois, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia. The industrial sector also receives a small amount of coal.103,104 The Port of Charleston used to handle significant shipments of coal, but now it only exports minor amounts of coal, about 1 short ton in 2022. Coal imports at Charleston peaked at nearly 2 million tons in 2006, but there were no imports in 2022.105
Endnotes
1 U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), South Carolina Profile Data, Reserves, Supply & Distribution, Environment, accessed January 3, 2024.
2 National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Geospatial Data Science Data and Tools, Biomass, Geothermal, Solar, Wind, accessed January 3, 2024.
3 U.S. EIA, U.S. Energy Atlas, All Energy Infrastructure and Resources, South Carolina, Renewable Resources, Fossil Resources, accessed January 3, 2024.
4 Howard, Pat, Which U.S. state experiences the most hurricanes?, Policygenius (May 24, 2023).
5 NETSTATE, South Carolina, The Geography of South Carolina, accessed January 3, 2024.
6 World Atlas, Maps of South Carolina, updated December 28, 2023.
7 South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, South Carolina State Water Assessment, Chapter 9, Special Topics (2009).
8 South Carolina Forestry Commission, Forest Health, 2022 South Carolina Highlights, p. 1.
9 U.S. EIA, U.S. Energy Atlas, All Energy Infrastructure and Resources, South Carolina, Renewable Resources, Fossil Resources, accessed January 3, 2024.
10 U.S. EIA, State Energy Data System, Table P3, Total Primary Energy Production and Total Energy Consumption Estimates in Trillion Btu, 2021.
11 U.S. EIA, State Energy Data System, Table C10, Total Energy Consumption Estimates, Real Gross Domestic Product (GDP), Energy Consumption Estimates per Real Dollar of GDP, Ranked by State, 2021.
12 U.S. EIA, State Energy Data System, Table P5B, Primary Energy Production Estimates, Renewable and Total Energy, in Trillion Btu, Ranked by State, 2021.
13 U.S. EIA, State Energy Data System, Table F33, Total Energy Consumption, Price, and Expenditure Estimates, 2021.
14 South Carolina Department of Commerce, Industries, accessed January 3, 2024.
15 U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Interactive Data Tables, Regional Data, GDP and Personal Income, Annual Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by State, SAGDP2 GDP in current dollars, South Carolina, All statistics in table, 2022.
16 U.S. EIA, State Energy Data System, Table F33, Total Energy Consumption, Price, and Expenditure Estimates, 2021.
17 U.S. EIA, State Energy Data System, Table C3, Primary Energy Consumption Estimates, 2021.
18 U.S. Census, Percent Change in Residential Population for the 50 States, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico: 2010 to 2020.
19 U.S. EIA, State Energy Data System, Table F33, Total Energy Consumption, Price, and Expenditure Estimates, 2021.
20 South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism, South Carolina Beaches, accessed January 3, 2024.
21 Liu, Michelle, "South Carolina growth clustered among coast, Charlotte areas," AP News (August 12, 2021).
22 U.S. EIA, Electricity Data Browser, Net generation for all sectors, South Carolina, 2001-21.
23 U.S. EIA, Electric Power Annual 2022 (October 19, 2023), Table 3.13, Utility Scale Facility Net Generation from Nuclear Energy, Table 4.7.A, Net Summer Capacity of Utility Scale Units by Technology and by State, 2022 and 2021 (Megawatts).
24 U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, South Carolina, update June 28, 2023.
25 U.S. EIA, South Carolina Electricity Profile 2022, Table 2B, Ten largest plants by generation, 2022.
26 Duke Energy, Nuclear Education, Robinson Nuclear, a pioneer in nuclear energy (October 22, 2013).
27 U.S. EIA, South Carolina Electricity Profile 2022, Table 2A, Ten largest plants by capacity, 2022, and Table 2B, The largest power plants by generation, 2022.
28 U.S. EIA, Electricity Data Browser, Net generation for all sectors, South Carolina, 2001-22.
29 U.S. EIA, Electricity Data Browser, Net generation for all sectors, South Carolina, 2001-22.
30 U.S. EIA, Electricity, Preliminary Monthly Electric Generator Inventory (based on Form EIA-860M as a supplement to Form EIA-860), Inventory of Operating Generators as of December 2023, Plant State: South Carolina, Technology: Conventional Steam Coal.
31 U.S. EIA, Electricity Data Browser, Net generation for all sectors, South Carolina, 2001-22.
32 U.S. EIA, South Carolina Electricity Profile 2022, Table 10, Supply and disposition of electricity, 1990 through 2022, South Carolina.
33 U.S. EIA, 2020 RECS Survey Data, State Data, Housing characteristics, Highlights for air conditioning in U.S. homes by state, 2020.
34 U.S. EIA, State Energy Data System, Table C17, Electricity Retail Sales, Total and Residential, Total and per Capita, Ranked by State, 2021.
35 U.S. Electricity Data Browser, Retail sales of electricity, South Carolina, 2001-22.
36 U.S. Census Bureau, House Heating Fuel, Table B25040, 2022 ACS 1-Year Estimates Detailed Tables, South Carolina.
37 U.S. EIA, State Energy Data System, Table C17, Electricity Retail Sales, Total and Residential, Total and per Capita, Ranked by State, 2021.
38 U.S. EIA, South Carolina Profile Data, Reserves, Supply & Distribution, accessed January 4, 2024.
39 U.S. EIA, Number and Capacity of Petroleum Refineries, PAD District 1, 2018-23.
40 U.S. EIA, Petroleum and Other Liquids, Company Level Imports, October 2022 to October 2023.
41 Colonial Pipeline Company, System Map, accessed January 4, 2024.
42 Kinder Morgan, Products Pipelines, Southeast Operations, accessed January 4, 2024.
43 Kinder Morgan, Form 10-K, For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020, Products Pipeline, Southeast Refined Products, PPL Pipeline, p. 10.
44 U.S. EIA, State Energy Data System, Table C15, Petroleum Consumption, Total and per Capita, Ranked by State, 2021.
45 U.S. EIA, State Energy Data System, Table F16, Total Petroleum Consumption Estimates, 2021.
46 U.S. EIA, State Energy Data System, Table C2, Energy Consumption Estimates for Selected Energy Sources in Physical Units, 2021.
47 U.S. EIA, State Energy Data System, Table E20, Motor Gasoline Price and Expenditure Estimates, Ranked by State, 2021.
48 U.S. Department of Commerce, Federal Highway Administration, Highway Statistics 2021, Table 5.4.2.
49 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Gasoline Standards, Reformulated Gasoline, accessed January 4, 2024.
50 American Petroleum Institute, U.S. Gasoline Requirements (January 2018).
51 U.S. EIA, "New EPA ruling expands sale of 15% ethanol blended motor gasoline," Today in Energy (July 16, 2019).
52 U.S. EIA, South Carolina Profile Data, Environment, Renewable Energy Production, Fuel Ethanol Production, 2021.
53 U.S. EIA, State Energy Data System, Table C2, Energy Consumption Estimates for Selected Energy Sources in Physical Units, 2021.
54 U.S. EIA, U.S. Biodiesel Plant Production Capacity (August 7, 2023), Detailed annual production capacity by plant is available in XLS format.
55 U.S. EIA, State Energy Data System, Table C2, Energy Consumption Estimates for Selected Energy Sources in Physical Units, 2021.
56 U.S. Census Bureau, House Heating Fuel, Table B25040, 2022 ACS 1-Year Estimates Detailed Tables, South Carolina.
57 U.S. EIA, Natural Gas Reserves Summary as of Dec. 31, Wet NG, 2016-21.
58 U.S. EIA, South Carolina Profile Data, Supply & Distribution, Production, Natural Gas - Marketed, accessed January 5, 2024.
59 U.S. EIA, U.S. Energy Atlas, All Energy Infrastructure and Resources, South Carolina, accessed January 5, 2024.
60 U.S. EIA, International and Interstate Movements of Natural Gas by State, South Carolina, 2017-22.
61 U.S. EIA, State Energy Data System, Table C16, Natural Gas Consumption, Total and per Capita, Ranked by State, 2021.
62 U.S. EIA, Natural Gas Consumption by End Use, South Carolina, 1997-2022.
63 U.S. EIA, Electricity Data Browser, Net generation for all sectors, South Carolina, 2001-22.
64 U.S. EIA, Natural Gas Consumption by End Use, South Carolina, Annual, 1997-2022.
65 Mizzell, Hope, "Low Country, Upstate and a Lot of Weather in Between-South Carolina's Climate," CoCoRaHS ‘State Climates' Series, accessed January 5, 2024.
66 U.S. Census Bureau, House Heating Fuel, Table B25040, 2022 ACS 1-Year Estimates Detailed Tables, South Carolina.
67 U.S. EIA, Natural Gas Consumption by End Use, South Carolina, Annual, 2017-22.
68 U.S. EIA, Electricity Data Browser, Net generation for all sectors, South Carolina, 2001-22.
69 U.S. EIA, Electricity, Preliminary Monthly Electric Generator Inventory (based on Form EIA-860M as a supplement to Form EIA-860), Inventory of Operating Generators as of December 2023, Inventory of Planned Generators as of December 2023, Plant State: South Carolina, Technology: Select All.
70 U.S. EIA, Electricity Data Browser, Net generation for all sectors, South Carolina, 2001-22.
71 U.S. EIA, Electricity, Preliminary Monthly Electric Generator Inventory (based on Form EIA-860M as a supplement to Form EIA-860), Inventory of Operating Generators as of December 2023, Plant State: South Carolina, Technology: Conventional Hydroelectric, Hydroelectric Pumped Storage.
72 U.S. EIA, South Carolina Electricity Profile 2022, Table 2A, Ten largest plants by capacity, 2022.
73 National Hydropower Association, 2021 Pumped Storage Report, p. 34.
74 U.S. EIA, Energy Explained, Hydropower explained, Hydroelectric power is produced with moving water, Pumped-storage hydropower facilities, updated April 20, 2023.
75 U.S. EIA, U.S. Energy Atlas, All Energy Infrastructure and Resources, South Carolina, accessed January 17, 2024.
76 U.S. EIA, Electricity Data Browser, Net generation for all sectors, South Carolina, 2001-22.
77 U.S. EIA, Electricity Data Browser, Net generation for all sectors, South Carolina, 2001-22.
78 U.S. EIA, Electric Power Annual 2022 (October 19, 2023), Table 3.19, Utility Scale Facility Net Generation from Biomass.
79 U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forests of South Carolina, 2020.
80 "Forestry has Huge Economic Impact on South Carolina's Economy," The Dillon Herald (November 18, 2022).
81 U.S. EIA, Electricity, Preliminary Monthly Electric Generator Inventory (based on Form EIA-860M as a supplement to Form EIA-860), Inventory of Operating Generators as of December 2023, South Carolina, Technology: Wood/Wood Waste Biomass.
82 U.S. Department of Agriculture, Timber Product Output and Use for South Carolina, 2020.
83 U.S. EIA, Monthly Densified Biomass Fuel Report, Table 1, Densified biomass fuel manufacturing facilities in the United States by state, region, and capacity, October 2023.
84 U.S. EIA, Electricity, Preliminary Monthly Electric Generator Inventory (based on Form EIA-860M as a supplement to Form EIA-860), Inventory of Operating Generators as of December 2023, Plant State: South Carolina, Technology: Landfill Gas.
85 Santee Cooper, "Santee Cooper Provides 20 Years of Green Power," Press Release (September 13, 2021).
86 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Livestock Anaerobic Digester Database, South Carolina, accessed January 17, 2024.
87 "Piggy power: Electricity from hog waste a S.C. first," Associated Press (January 30, 2011).
88 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Livestock Anaerobic Digester Database, South Carolina, accessed January 17, 2024.
89 "The Landfill Group: South Carolina RNG Project Now Operational," Biomass Magazine (July 25, 2023).
90 "South Carolina Gets Its First RNG Project," Gas Compression Magazine (August 9, 2023).
91 Harris, Robert A., et al., Final Report to the South Carolina Forestry Commission on Potential for Biomass Energy Development in South Carolina, p. 25, accessed January 17, 2024.
92 U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, WINDExchange, Wind Energy in South Carolina, Maps & Data, accessed January 17, 2024.
93 U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, South Carolina Activities, accessed January 17, 2024.
94 "2 companies bid $315M to develop wind power off coast of North and South Carolina," WMBF (May 12, 2022).
95 National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Wind Prospector, Wind Manufacturing Facilities, accessed January 17, 2024.
96 South Carolina Energy Office, Renewable Energy, Geothermal, accessed January 17, 2024.
97 NC Clean Energy Technology Center, DSIRE, South Carolina Distributed Energy Resource Program, updated December 5, 2023.
98 U.S. EIA, Electric Power Annual 2021 (November 7, 2022), Table 4.7.A, Net Summer Capacity of Utility Scale Units by Technology and by State, 2021 and 2020 (Megawatts).
99 U.S. EIA, Electric Power Annual 2022 (October 19, 2023), Table 4.7.A, Net Summer Capacity of Utility Scale Units by Technology and by State, 2022 and 2021 (Megawatts).
100 NC Clean Energy Technology Center, DSIRE, South Carolina, Solar Energy, Small Hydropower, and Geothermal Tax Credit (Personal), updated March 16, 2023.
101 NC Clean Energy Technology Center, DSIRE, South Carolina, Solar Energy, Small Hydropower, and Geothermal Tax Credit (Corporate), updated March 16, 2023.
102 U.S. EIA, South Carolina Profile Data, Reserves, Supply & Distribution, accessed January 18, 2024.
103 U.S. EIA, Electricity Data Browser, Net generation for all sectors, South Carolina, 2001-22.
104 U.S. EIA, Annual Coal Distribution Report 2022 (October 3, 2023), Domestic distribution of U.S. coal by destination state, consumer, destination and method of transportation, South Carolina, Table DS-35, Domestic Coal Distribution, by Destination State, 2022.
105 U.S. EIA, Quarterly Coal Report, Previous reports, 4th Quarter 2022 (April 2023), Table 13, U.S. Coal Exports by Customs District, and Table 20, Coal Imports by Customs District.
Other Resources
Energy-Related Regions and Organizations
- Petroleum Administration for Defense District (PADD): 1C
- North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) ERO Enterprise: Regional Entities: SERC Reliability Corporation (SERC)
Other Websites
- South Carolina Energy Office
- Public Service Commission of South Carolina
- South Carolina Office of Economic Opportunity, Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP)
- South Carolina Office of Economic Opportunity, Weatherization Assistance Program
- South Carolina Energy Data - Data Hub
- South Carolina Energy Office - Renewable Energy
- South Carolina Energy Office - Tax Incentives
- South Carolina Energy Office - Palmetto Clean Fuels Coalition
- South Carolina Energy Office - Plug in SC
- South Carolina Energy Office - Funding
- South Carolina Office of Regulatory Staff - Electric & Natural Gas
- South Carolina State Climatology Office
- South Carolina Energy Saver
- EIA South Carolina Flickr Album
- Southeastern Power Administration
- Southern States Energy Board
- U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, South Carolina
- Alternative Fuels Data Center, Federal and State Laws and Incentives
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Office of Community Services, Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP)
- Benefits.Gov, Housing and Public Utilities
- NC Clean Energy Technology Center, Database of State Incentives for Renewables and Efficiency (DSIRE)
- National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC)
- National Association of State Energy Officials (NASEO)
- National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL), Research and Policy
- National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Geospatial Data Science Data and Tools
- U.S. Geological Survey, Maps
- U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), Publications
- Interstate Oil and Gas Compact Commission
- U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management
- Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Energy Flow Charts
- National Renewable Energy Laboratory, State and Local Planning for Energy (SLOPE)
- EIA Status of U.S. Nuclear Outages
- EIA Natural Gas Storage Dashboard
- EIA Energy Disruptions
- U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Rural Development, Energy Programs
