Investing in clean energy will build a greater and stronger South Carolina for all

Our state and nation are at turning points because of the pandemic: more than 20,000 COVID-19 cases have been documented in South Carolina and well over 100,000 Americans have died from this disease.

In addition, over 250,000 workers are unemployed in South Carolina, with this number in the millions nationwide.

Regardless of political affiliation, all South Carolinians want a safer and healthier state with a growing economy where all people can prosper; we all want to build a better South Carolina and a better America than we had before.

Clean energy

To me this means two things:

▪ Making equality a central focus of whatever actions we take.

▪ Making sure we invest in industries and areas that will move us towards a clean and healthy future that is free of pollution, reduces emissions of heat-trapping gases and leaves our state and planet better for future generations.

While we make investments to build a stronger and more inclusive economy, we should lead with the industries that show the greatest potential for growth to help families recover. This means creating new jobs, training South Carolinians for these jobs, and getting these same workers back into the economy. And that’s why I believe that the solar and clean energy industry must be among the initial industries that we focus on for investment.

How do I know that investing in solar growth across South Carolina will help rebuild a better economy? I know because I have witnessed it firsthand in South Carolina.

In 2014 the General Assembly passed — and Gov. Nikki Haley signed into law — a modest bill that allowed solar to get off the ground in South Carolina. The results have been outstanding: more than 3,000 jobs created, billions of dollars invested, and growth of an industry that has exceeded all expectations and projections.

Before the coronavirus took down the economy, the clean energy industry was rapidly growing; in fact, it was poised for more growth with the passage of the South Carolina Energy Freedom Act in 2019.

Now as my fellow colleagues in state government debate which sectors to boost as we rebuild our economy, I believe that we should invest first in clean energy because it is the industry that shows the most potential for rapid growth and job creation in South Carolina.

And the benefits won’t stop there.

Investing in clean energy will reduce air pollution and lower emissions that contribute to changing climate patterns and stronger storms.

How to rebuild

We should rebuild in a way that makes our air cleaner for our communities – especially communities of color that suffer disproportionately from chronic air pollution.

Let’s rebuild our state even stronger by closing expensive coal plants that emit toxic air pollution and greenhouse gases.

Let’s rebuild stronger by helping our coastal and inland communities be better prepared for hurricanes and flooding.

And let’s make sure that the transition to a clean economy is approached through the lens of equality.

That means ensuring that we provide training and support for current workers in communities where coal plants will be closed — so that they have the skills and training to move into a new clean energy jobs.

In addition, we can also can help reduce the energy costs for residents who live in these communities; in some cases these residents are devoting 40% to 50% of their monthly incomes to paying their energy bills.

The coronavirus pandemic has been devastating.

But as we look for solutions to lead us back to a strong recovery, one clear answer is to empower the rapidly growing clean energy economy.

State Rep. Nathan Ballentine represents District 71, which includes Lexington and Richland counties. Ballentine also serves as co-chairman of the South Carolina Energy Caucus.

This story was originally published June 26, 2020 at 10:48 AM.