U.S. Energy Information Administration logo
Skip to sub-navigation
‹ U.S. States

South Carolina   South Carolina Profile

State Profile and Energy Estimates

Changes to the State Energy Data System (SEDS) Notice: In October 2023, we updated the way we calculate primary energy consumption of electricity generation from noncombustible renewable energy sources (solar, wind, hydroelectric, and geothermal). Visit our Changes to 1960—2022 conversion factor for renewable energy page to learn more.

Profile Overview

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

More Data & Analysis in South Carolina