South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster, South Carolina General Assembly, Santee Cooper Board of Directors

Santee Cooper, South Carolina’s state-owned electric utility, is acting without accountability — and it's time we do something about it.

After a meter mix-up, I was back-billed for over 3 years of electric charges — totaling thousands of dollars. Santee Cooper admitted the error, yet insists I pay in full, citing their exemption from Public Service Commission oversight due to their state-owned status.

When I contacted the SC Office of Regulatory Staff, they confirmed: they have no jurisdiction over Santee Cooper. This means:

No one is regulating how they bill.
Customers have no formal way to appeal or dispute charges.
The utility can operate unchecked — even after admitting fault.
Let’s not forget their history:
In 2017, Santee Cooper was a key partner in the failed V.C. Summer nuclear project, wasting $9 billion and leading to a $450 million taxpayer-funded bailout — with no accountability for leadership or decision-makers.

Santee Cooper is owned by us — the taxpayers.
We bailed them out. We fund them.
We deserve transparency, accountability, and protection.

We, the undersigned, demand:

Immediate oversight legislation to bring Santee Cooper under PSC regulation or an independent review board.
Customer protections from retroactive billing practices.
Transparency in billing practices and recourse for impacted customers.
If you’ve been affected — or believe no utility should operate above the law — sign and share this petition.

Let’s stand up together and demand a utility that serves the people, not one that operates without rules.