South Carolina Quick Facts
- Natural gas deliveries to South Carolina's electric power sector increased by three-fourths in the past decade, increasing from 100 billion cubic feet of natural gas in 2011 to 178 billion cubic feet in 2021.
- South Carolina’s per capita natural gas consumption ranks among the lowest 15 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 54% of the state’s total electricity net generation in 2021, and the state was the third-largest producer of nuclear power in the nation.
- South Carolina’s industrial sector, which includes the manufacture of motor vehicles, chemicals, 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 sales, and more than 70% of state households heat with electricity and nearly all of them have electric air conditioning.
Last Updated: January 19, 2023
Data
Last Update: September 21, 2023 | Next Update: October 19, 2023
| Prices | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Petroleum | South Carolina | U.S. Average | Period | find more | |
| Domestic Crude Oil First Purchase | -- | $ 68.58 /barrel | Jun-23 | ||
| Natural Gas | South Carolina | U.S. Average | Period | find more | |
| City Gate | $ 4.81 /thousand cu ft | $ 4.68 /thousand cu ft | Jun-23 | find more | |
| Residential | $ 23.88 /thousand cu ft | $ 20.16 /thousand cu ft | Jun-23 | find more | |
| Coal | South Carolina | U.S. Average | Period | find more | |
| Average Sales Price | -- | $ 36.50 /short ton | 2021 | ||
| Delivered to Electric Power Sector | W | $ 2.47 /million Btu | Jun-23 | ||
| Electricity | South Carolina | U.S. Average | Period | find more | |
| Residential | 14.17 cents/kWh | 16.11 cents/kWh | Jun-23 | find more | |
| Commercial | 10.83 cents/kWh | 12.81 cents/kWh | Jun-23 | find more | |
| Industrial | 6.79 cents/kWh | 8.21 cents/kWh | Jun-23 | 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 | -- | -- | 2021 | 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) | -- | -- | 2022 | ||
| Electric Power Industry Net Summer Capacity | 24,473 MW | 2.1% | Jun-23 | ||
| Supply & Distribution | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Production | South Carolina | Share of U.S. | Period | find more | |
| Total Energy | 716 trillion Btu | 0.7% | 2021 | find more | |
| Crude Oil | -- | -- | Jun-23 | find more | |
| Natural Gas - Marketed | -- | -- | 2021 | find more | |
| Coal | -- | -- | 2021 | find more | |
| Total Utility-Scale Net Electricity Generation | South Carolina | Share of U.S. | Period | find more | |
| Total Net Electricity Generation | 8,693 thousand MWh | 2.4% | Jun-23 | ||
| Utility-Scale Net Electricity Generation (share of total) | South Carolina | U.S. Average | Period | ||
| Petroleum-Fired | 0.1 % | 0.3 % | Jun-23 | find more | |
| Natural Gas-Fired | 23.6 % | 45.3 % | Jun-23 | find more | |
| Coal-Fired | 17.0 % | 16.2 % | Jun-23 | find more | |
| Nuclear | 54.3 % | 18.2 % | Jun-23 | find more | |
| Renewables | 5.1 % | 19.6 % | Jun-23 | ||
| Stocks | South Carolina | Share of U.S. | Period | find more | |
| Motor Gasoline (Excludes Pipelines) | 62 thousand barrels | 0.5% | Jun-23 | ||
| Distillate Fuel Oil (Excludes Pipelines) | 583 thousand barrels | 0.7% | Jun-23 | find more | |
| Natural Gas in Underground Storage | -- | -- | Jun-23 | find more | |
| Petroleum Stocks at Electric Power Producers | 593 thousand barrels | 2.6% | Jun-23 | find more | |
| Coal Stocks at Electric Power Producers | 2,613 thousand tons | 2.0% | Jun-23 | find more | |
| Fueling Stations | South Carolina | Share of U.S. | Period | ||
| Motor Gasoline | 2,587 stations | 2.3% | 2021 | ||
| Propane | 35 stations | 1.4% | Aug-23 | ||
| Electric Vehicle Charging Locations | 419 stations | 0.8% | Aug-23 | ||
| E85 | 53 stations | 1.2% | Aug-23 | ||
| Compressed Natural Gas and Other Alternative Fuels | 9 stations | 0.3% | Aug-23 | ||
| 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 | 340 billion cu ft | 1.1% | 2021 | find more | |
| » Coal | 7 million short tons | 1.2% | 2021 | find more | |
| Expenditures | |||||
| » Petroleum | $ 11,582 million | 1.5% | 2021 | find more | |
| » Natural Gas | $ 2,064 million | 1.1% | 2021 | find more | |
| » Coal | $ 477 million | 2.0% | 2021 | find more | |
| Consumption for Electricity Generation | South Carolina | Share of U.S. | Period | find more | |
| Petroleum | 15 thousand barrels | 0.9% | Jun-23 | find more | |
| Natural Gas | 15,577 million cu ft | 1.8% | Apr-23 | find more | |
| Coal | 621 thousand short tons | 1.9% | Jun-23 | find more | |
| Energy Source Used for Home Heating (share of households) | South Carolina | U.S. Average | Period | ||
| Natural Gas | 23.4 % | 46.5 % | 2021 | ||
| Fuel Oil | 0.6 % | 4.1 % | 2021 | ||
| Electricity | 71.0 % | 41.0 % | 2021 | ||
| Propane | 3.5 % | 5.0 % | 2021 | ||
| Other/None | 1.5 % | 3.5 % | 2021 | ||
| Environment | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Renewable Energy Capacity | South Carolina | Share of U.S. | Period | find more | |
| Total Renewable Energy Electricity Net Summer Capacity | 3,247 MW | 1.0% | Jun-23 | ||
| Ethanol Plant Nameplate Capacity | -- | -- | 2023 | ||
| Renewable Energy Production | South Carolina | Share of U.S. | Period | find more | |
| Utility-Scale Hydroelectric Net Electricity Generation | NM | NM | Jun-23 | ||
| Utility-Scale Solar, Wind, and Geothermal Net Electricity Generation | 280 thousand MWh | 0.6% | Jun-23 | ||
| Utility-Scale Biomass Net Electricity Generation | 159 thousand MWh | 4.0% | Jun-23 | ||
| Small-Scale Solar Photovoltaic Generation | 59 thousand MWh | 0.8% | Jun-23 | ||
| 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 | 25,193 thousand metric tons | 1.5% | 2021 | ||
| Sulfur Dioxide | 21 thousand metric tons | 1.8% | 2021 | ||
| Nitrogen Oxide | 15 thousand metric tons | 1.2% | 2021 | ||
Analysis
Last Updated: January 19, 2023
Overview
South Carolina uses more than twice as much energy as it produces.
South Carolina is located on the U.S. East Coast halfway between New York City and Miami. The state does not have any economically recoverable fossil fuel reserves, and its main energy production comes from its nuclear power plants. The state has renewable energy resources as well.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 seventh among states that have taken the most direct hits from these storms, according to meteorological records. 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 Three-fifths of South Carolina is forested, and the wood waste from the state's forests, lumber mills, and wood products industry yields significant amounts of biomass.8 Methane from waste landfills in more densely populated areas provides South Carolina with an additional biomass resource.9
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 about one-third of South Carolina's total energy use.13 The state's manufacturing activities are a major contributor to South Carolina's GDP and include: motor vehicle assembly; chemicals; electrical equipment and computers; paper and wood products; plastics and rubber; machinery; and food products.14,15 The transportation sector is the second-largest energy-consuming sector and accounts for nearly three-tenths 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 one-fourth of the state's energy and the commercial sector accounts for about one-sixth.18,19,20,21
Electricity
In 2021, 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 54% of total in-state electricity in 2021.22 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 seven operating reactors at four nuclear power plants in the state.24 Three of South Carolina's four largest power plants in terms of actual annual electricity generation are the three-reactor Oconee nuclear facility, the two-reactor Catawba station, and the single-reactor Summer plant.25 The one nuclear reactor at 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 Construction of two additional nuclear reactors at the Summer nuclear power station ceased in July 2017 and the expansion project was halted, due in part to higher-than-expected costs.27,28
Natural gas fueled 24% of South Carolina's electricity net generation in 2021. The amount of electricity generated in the state from natural gas more than doubled between 2014 and 2021.29 Natural gas fuels 4 of South Carolina's 10 largest power plants by both capacity and generation.30 Natural gas-fired generation exceeded the state's coal-fired generation for the first time in 2018. In 2021, South Carolina's four coal-fired power plants accounted for the 15% 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 2028.31,32 Almost all of the state's remaining electricity generation, about 7%, was provided by renewable resources at solar panel systems, hydropower facilities, and biomass-fueled power plants that use wood waste or landfill gas.33
South Carolina generates about 12% more electricity than it consumes and sends its surplus power across the regional grid to other states.34 South Carolina ranks among the top one-fourth of the states in per capita total electricity retail sales, in part because of the high demand for air conditioning during the state's hot and humid summer months.35,36 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.37,38 South Carolina ranks among the top 10 states in residential sector per capita electricity sales.39
Petroleum
South Carolina has no crude oil reserves or production, and there are no petroleum refineries in the state.40,41 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).42,43,44,45
South Carolina’s per capita motor gasoline expenditures rank among the top one-fourth of the states.
South Carolina's total and per capita petroleum consumption rank near the middle of all the states.46 The transportation sector consumes nearly 9 out of 10 barrels of the petroleum used in the state, most of which is motor gasoline and diesel fuel.47,48 South Carolina ranks among the top one-fourth of 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.49,50,51 South Carolina does not require the use of reformulated gasoline blended with ethanol. 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.52,53,54 South Carolina has no fuel ethanol production plants, but the state accounts for about 2% of U.S. ethanol consumption.55,56 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 about 1% of U.S. total biodiesel use.57,58 Only 4 in 100 South Carolina households rely on petroleum products, mainly propane, for home heating.59
Natural gas
South Carolina has no economically recoverable natural gas reserves or production.60,61 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. About two-fifths of the natural gas that South Carolina receives continues on to markets in North Carolina and further north and in Georgia to the south.62,63
Natural gas consumption by South Carolina’s electric power sector has nearly doubled in the last decade.
South Carolina's per capita natural gas consumption ranks among the lowest 15 states, but its total natural gas use is near the midpoint of the states.64 Over the past decade, natural gas use in South Carolina has increased the most in the electric power sector, where consumption nearly doubled from 2011 to 2021.65,66,67 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 2021. Industrial sector natural gas demand steadily increased every year from 2000 to 2019, but declined slightly in 2020 in part because of the economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. Industrial sector natural gas consumption rebounded in 2021 to the highest level since 1999, and accounted for three-tenths of the state's total natural gas use.68 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 8% of the state's natural gas use.69,70,71
Renewable energy
Solar energy, hydropower, and biomass are South Carolina's primary renewable resources for generating electricity and accounted for about 7% of total in-state net generation in 2021.72 An increasing amount of South Carolina's renewable electricity generation comes from solar energy, which surpassed for the first time biomass-fueled generation in 2020 and conventional hydropower in 2021. Solar power accounted for nearly 3% of the state's total net generation in 2021, with solar electricity generation more than tripling since 2018. All of the state's new utility-scale (1 megawatt or larger) generating capacity coming online in 2022 and 2023—about 465 megawatts—is powered by solar energy.73,74
There are 34 utility-scale (1 megawatt or larger) hydroelectric generating plants in South Carolina, including several large pumped storage facilities—one of which with 1,520 megawatts of generating capacity is the fourth-largest generating facility in the state. South Carolina is third among the states with the most pumped storage hydropower capacity, which uses more energy that it generates, with 12% of the U.S. total.75,76,77,78 Pumped storage facilities are used during periods of low power demand, which are usually at night, when less costly electricity is used to pump water from a lower reservoir to an upper reservoir. Then, during periods when power demand and electricity prices are higher, the water is released from the upper reservoir and flows down through generating turbines on its way back to the lower reservoir, producing electricity. Although the plant uses more power than it generates, it supplies power in periods of peak demand when electricity prices are highest.79 Most of the conventional hydroelectric facilities, which accounted for about 3% of net generation in 2021, are located in the northwestern part of the state.80,81
South Carolina ranks in the top 10 states in total biomass generation, and biomass fueled 2% of the state's total net generation in 2021.82,83 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 9 utility-scale power plants in the state that burn wood and wood waste for generating electricity.84,85,86,87 The state's biomass resources also provide feedstock for two wood pellet manufacturing plants, which have a combined production capacity of about 611,000 tons per year.88
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.89,90 The state's first anaerobic digester project came online in 2011, and generates power from methane gas captured at a hog farm.91,92 An anaerobic digester project that uses poultry waste to generate electricity began operations in 2013.93,94 South Carolina also has biomass resources in the form of agricultural residues from corn, wheat, and soybean crops.95
South Carolina does not have substantial onshore wind energy resources, but it does have offshore wind potential.96 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.97 While the state does not currently have any installed utility-scale wind generating capacity, it has several manufacturers and assemblers of wind turbine components.98 South Carolina also has low-temperature geothermal resources, but they are tapped mostly for use in geothermal heat pumps to provide heating and cooling in commercial and residential buildings.99
In 2014, South Carolina's legislature authorized the creation of a voluntary Distributed Energy Resource Program for electric utilities and required the Public Service Commission to develop net metering rules. The voluntary goal seeks to increase in-state renewable electricity generating capacity and allow participating utilities to recover costs related to their renewable generation target. The program's target is for 2% of a participating utility's aggregate generating capacity to be fueled by renewable resources by 2021. At the end of 2021, renewables fueled 12% of the state's total utility-scale generating capacity at facilities that are 1 megawatt or larger.100,101 The state also provides financial incentives for households and businesses to install solar panel systems and geothermal heat pumps.102,103
Coal
South Carolina has no coal production and no economically recoverable coal reserves.104 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 2021, in-state coal-fired generation was less than half of what it was in 2011. Almost all the coal needed for the coal-fired power plants arrives by rail from Kentucky, Pennsylvania, Illinois, and West Virginia. The industrial sector also receives a small amount of coal deliveries in the state.105,106 The Port of Charleston used to handle significant shipments of coal, but now it only has minor amounts of imports and exports. Coal imports at Charleston peaked at nearly 2 million tons in 2006, but were just 40,000 tons in 2021. Coal exports were much less-about 95 tons in 2021.107
Endnotes
1 U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), South Carolina Profile Data, Reserves, Supply & Distribution, Environment, accessed November 29, 2022.
2 National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Geospatial Data Science Data and Tools, Biomass, Geothermal, Solar, Wind, accessed November 29, 2022.
3 U.S. EIA, U.S. Energy Atlas, All Energy Infrastructure and Resources, South Carolina, Renewable Resources, Fossil Resources, accessed January 10, 2022.
4 Donegan, Brian, "North Carolina Second Only to Florida for U.S. Tropical Storms and Hurricanes," The Weather Channel (September 11, 2018).
5 NETSTATE, South Carolina, The Geography of South Carolina, accessed November 29, 2022.
6 World Atlas, Maps of South Carolina, updated February 25, 2021.
7 South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, South Carolina State Water Assessment, Chapter 9, Special Topics (2009).
8 U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forests of South Carolina 2021.
9 U.S. EIA, South Carolina Profile Overview, Map, Layer List/Legend: Biomass Power Plants, accessed November 29, 2022.
10 U.S. EIA, State Energy Data System, Table P3, Total Primary Energy Production and Total Energy Consumption Estimates in Trillion Btu, 2020.
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, 2020.
12 U.S. EIA, State Energy Data System, Table P5B, Primary Energy Production Estimates, Renewable and Total Energy, in Trillion Btu, Ranked by State, 2020.
13 U.S. EIA, State Energy Data System, Table F33, Total Energy Consumption, Price, and Expenditure Estimates, 2020.
14 South Carolina Department of Commerce, Industries, accessed November 29, 2022.
15 U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Interactive Data Tables, Regional Data, GDP and Personal Income, Annual Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by State, GDP in current dollars, NAICS, South Carolina, All statistics in table, 2021.
16 U.S. EIA, State Energy Data System, Table F33, Total Energy Consumption, Price, and Expenditure Estimates, 2020.
17 U.S. EIA, State Energy Data System, Table C3, Primary Energy Consumption Estimates, 2020.
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, 2020.
20 South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism, South Carolina Beaches, accessed November 29, 2022.
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 2021 (November 7, 2022), 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, 2021 and 2020 (Megawatts).
24 U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, South Carolina, accessed December 13, 2022.
25 U.S. EIA, South Carolina Electricity Profile 2021, Table 2B, Ten largest plants by generation, 2021.
26 Duke Energy, Nuclear Education, Robinson Nuclear, a pioneer in nuclear energy (October 22, 2013).
27 SCANA, "South Carolina Electric & Gas Company to cease construction and will file plan of abandonment of the new nuclear project," Press Release (July 31, 2017).
28 Collins, Jeffrey, "1 Year After Nuclear Plants Abandoned, Fallout Continues," Associated Press (July 28, 2018).
29 U.S. EIA, Electricity Data Browser, Net generation for all sectors, South Carolina, 2001-21.
30 U.S. EIA, South Carolina Electricity Profile 2021, Table 2A, Ten largest plants by capacity, 2021, and Table 2B, The largest power plants by generation, 2021.
31 U.S. EIA, Electricity Data Browser, Net generation for all sectors, South Carolina, 2001-21.
32 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 November 2022, Plant State: South Carolina, Technology: Conventional Steam Coal.
33 U.S. EIA, Electricity Data Browser, Net generation for all sectors, South Carolina, 2001-21.
34 U.S. EIA, South Carolina Electricity Profile 2021, Table 10, Supply and disposition of electricity, 1990 through 2021, South Carolina.
35 U.S. EIA, 2020 RECS Survey Data, State Data, Highlights for air conditioning in U.S. homes by state, 2020.
36 U.S. EIA, State Energy Data System, Table C17, Electricity Retail Sales, Total and Residential, Total and per Capita, Ranked by State, 2020.
37 U.S. Electricity Data Browser, Retail sales of electricity, South Carolina, 2001-21.
38 U.S. Census Bureau, House Heating Fuel, Table B25040, 2021 ACS 1-Year Estimates Detailed Tables, South Carolina.
39 U.S. EIA, State Energy Data System, Table C17, Electricity Retail Sales, Total and Residential, Total and per Capita, Ranked by State, 2020.
40 U.S. EIA, South Carolina Profile Data, Reserves, Supply & Distribution, accessed December 15, 2022.
41 U.S. EIA, Number and Capacity of Petroleum Refineries, PAD District 1, 2016-22.
42 U.S. EIA, Petroleum and Other Liquids, Company Level Imports, September 2021 to September 2022.
43 Colonial Pipeline Company, System Map, accessed December 15, 2022.
44 Kinder Morgan, Products Pipelines, Southeast Operations, accessed December 15, 2022.
45 Kinder Morgan, Form 10-K, For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020, Products Pipeline, Southeast Refined Products, PPL Pipeline, p. 10.
46 U.S. EIA, State Energy Data System, Table C15, Petroleum Consumption, Total and per Capita, Ranked by State, 2020.
47 U.S. EIA, State Energy Data System, Table F16, Total Petroleum Consumption Estimates, 2020.
48 U.S. EIA, State Energy Data System, Table C2, Energy Consumption Estimates for Selected Energy Sources in Physical Units, 2020.
49 U.S. EIA, State Energy Data System, Table E20, Motor Gasoline Price and Expenditure Estimates, Ranked by State, 2020.
50 South Carolina Office of Regulatory Staff, Energy Office, South Carolina Energy Statistical Highlights (October 2015), p. 10.
51 U.S. Department of Commerce, Federal Highway Administration, Highway Statistics 2020, Table 5.4.2.
52 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Gasoline Standards, Reformulated Gasoline, accessed December 15, 2022.
53 American Petroleum Institute, U.S. Gasoline Requirements (January 2018).
54 U.S. EIA, "New EPA ruling expands sale of 15% ethanol blended motor gasoline," Today in Energy (July 16, 2019).
55 U.S. EIA, South Carolina Profile Data, Environment, Renewable Energy Production, Fuel Ethanol Production, 2020.
56 U.S. EIA, State Energy Data System, Table C2, Energy Consumption Estimates for Selected Energy Sources in Physical Units, 2020.
57 U.S. EIA, U.S. Biodiesel Plant Production Capacity (August 8, 2022), Detailed annual production capacity by plant is available in XLS format.
58 U.S. EIA, State Energy Data System, Table C2, Energy Consumption Estimates for Selected Energy Sources in Physical Units, 2020.
59 U.S. Census Bureau, House Heating Fuel, Table B25040, 2021 ACS 1-Year Estimates Detailed Tables, South Carolina.
60 U.S. EIA, Natural Gas Reserves Summary as of Dec. 31, Wet NG, 2016-21.
61 U.S. EIA, South Carolina Profile Data, Supply & Distribution, Production, Natural Gas - Marketed, accessed December 19, 2022.
62 U.S. EIA, South Carolina Profile Overview, Map, Layer List: Natural Gas Pipeline, accessed December 19, 2022.
63 U.S. EIA, International and Interstate Movements of Natural Gas by State, South Carolina, 2016-21.
64 U.S. EIA, State Energy Data System, Table C16, Natural Gas Consumption, Total and per Capita, Ranked by State, 2020.
65 U.S. EIA, Natural Gas Consumption by End Use, South Carolina, 1997-2021.
66 U.S. EIA, South Carolina Natural Gas Deliveries to Electric Power Consumers, 1997-2021.
67 U.S. EIA, Electricity Data Browser, Net generation for all sectors, South Carolina, 2001-21.
68 U.S. EIA, Natural Gas Consumption by End Use, South Carolina, Annual, 1997-2021.
69 Mizzell, Hope, "Low Country, Upstate and a Lot of Weather in Between-South Carolina's Climate," CoCoRaHS ‘State Climates' Series, accessed December 19, 2022.
70 U.S. Census Bureau, House Heating Fuel, Table B25040, 2021 ACS 1-Year Estimates Detailed Tables, South Carolina.
71 U.S. EIA, Natural Gas Consumption by End Use, South Carolina, Annual, 2016-21.
72 U.S. EIA, Electricity Data Browser, Net generation for all sectors, South Carolina, 2001-21.
73 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 November 2022, Inventory of Planned Generators as of November 2022, Plant State: South Carolina, Technology: Select All.
74 U.S. EIA, Electricity Data Browser, Net generation for all sectors, South Carolina, 2001-21.
75 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 November 2022, Plant State: South Carolina, Technology: Conventional Hydroelectric, Hydroelectric Pumped Storage.
76 U.S. EIA, South Carolina Profile Overview, Map, Layers/Legend: Hydroelectric Power Plant, accessed December 20, 2022.
77 U.S. EIA, South Carolina Electricity Profile 2021, Table 2B, Ten largest plants by generation, 2021.
78 National Hydropower Association, 2021 Pumped Storage Report, p. 34.
79 U.S. EIA, Energy Explained, Hydropower explained, Hydroelectric power is produced with moving water, Pumped-storage hydropower facilities, updated March 16, 2022.
80 U.S. EIA, South Carolina Profile Overview, Map, Layers/Legend: Hydroelectric Power Plant, accessed December 20, 2022.
81 U.S. EIA, Electricity Data Browser, Net generation for all sectors, South Carolina, 2001-21.
82 U.S. EIA, Electricity Data Browser, Net generation for all sectors, South Carolina, 2001-21.
83 U.S. EIA, Electric Power Annual 2021 (November 7, 2022), Table 3.19, Utility Scale Facility Net Generation from Biomass.
84 U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forests of South Carolina, 2020.
85 "Forestry has Huge Economic Impact on South Carolina's Economy," The Dillon Herald (November 18, 2022).
86 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 November 2022, South Carolina, Technology: Wood/Wood Waste Biomass.
87 U.S. Department of Agriculture, Timber Product Output and Use for South Carolina, 2020.
88 U.S. EIA, Monthly Densified Biomass Fuel Report, Table 1, Densified biomass fuel manufacturing facilities in the United States by state, region, and capacity, August 2022.
89 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 November 2022, Plant State: South Carolina, Technology: Landfill Gas.
90 Straight, Jeff, "Let's Talk Trash: Turning Methane Gas into Renewable Energy," Santee Cooper (July 14, 2020).
91 Biomass Magazine, Burrows Hall Farm, accessed December 20, 2022.
92 "Piggy power: Electricity from hog waste a S.C. first," Associated Press (January 30, 2011).
93 Biomass Magazine, Collins Chick Farm, accessed December 20, 2022.
94 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Livestock Anaerobic Digester Database, South Carolina, accessed December 20, 2022.
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96 U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, WINDExchange, Wind Energy in South Carolina, Maps & Data, accessed December 20, 2022.
97 U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, South Carolina Activities, accessed December 20, 2021.
98 National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Wind Prospector, Wind Manufacturing Facilities, accessed December 20, 2022.
99 South Carolina Energy Office, Renewable Energy, Geothermal, accessed December 20, 2022.
100 NC Clean Energy Technology Center, DSIRE, South Carolina Distributed Energy Resource Program, updated June 18, 2018.
101 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).
102 NC Clean Energy Technology Center, DSIRE, Solar Energy, Small Hydropower, and Geothermal Tax Credit (Personal), updated March 10, 2021.
103 NC Clean Energy Technology Center, DSIRE, Solar Energy, Small Hydropower, and Geothermal Tax Credit (Corporate), updated June 3, 2022.
104 U.S. EIA, South Carolina Profile Data, Reserves, Supply & Distribution, accessed December 20, 2022.
105 U.S. EIA, Electricity Data Browser, Net generation for all sectors, South Carolina, 2001-21.
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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
- South Carolina Energy Office - Renewable Energy
- South Carolina Energy Office - South Carolina Tax Incentives
- South Carolina Energy Office - Palmetto Clean Fuels Coalition
- South Carolina Energy Office - Plug in SC
- South Carolina Energy Office - Funding & Incentives
- South Carolina State Climatology Office
- 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), Energy
- 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. 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
