Project would add capacity without increasing emissions rate
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MONCKS CORNER, SC – The Santee Cooper Board of Directors today authorized management to submit an application to the SC Public Service Commission for the possible expansion of the utility’s Rainey Generating Station in Iva, SC.
Specifically, the Board has authorized management to apply for a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity to increase the capacity of the Rainey Generating Station by approximately 180 megawatts (MW). The plant will run on natural gas and has a capacity of approximately 1,000 MW. The project would increase the plant’s capacity by nearly 20 percent without requiring additional natural gas to generate the additional capacity – and without increasing the emissions rate.
The project will install a steam turbine generator and other equipment to capture waste heat from two existing single-cycle plants and use that heat to generate additional electricity. Once the project is approved, construction is expected to take 40 months.
“Reusing the waste heat already generated by these two combustion turbines will help ensure reliable power for a growing population throughout the Santee Cooper system,” said Jimmy Staton, President and CEO. “The ability to provide additional capacity at an existing site without increasing fuel costs or emissions rates is a great opportunity that will benefit all of our customers and the entire state of South Carolina.”
Rob Hochstetler, CEO of Central Electric Power Cooperative, which runs the utility that supplies power to the state’s electric cooperatives and is Santee Cooper’s largest customer, recognizes the need for South Carolina’s electric utilities to bring additional power-generating resources online.
“Our state is growing rapidly and to keep up, we need a larger supply of constantly available energy,” Hochstetler said. “This project would move us in the right direction.”
