What we at Santee Cooper plan for South Carolina’s Francis Beidler Forest | Opinion
We are faced with two indisputable facts: South Carolina and its energy requirement sare both growing at a rapid pace, and we’ll need affordable, reliable and safe resources — and more of them — to meet that growing demand.
In response, the General Assembly passed, and Gov. Henry McMaster signed into law, the South Carolina Energy Security Act in May to streamline construction of new generation and transmission.
As president and CEO of Santee Cooper, one of the largest electric providers in the state, I know we are committed to meeting those energy needs with existing and future generating resources in full compliance with that act.
Recently, there has been a great deal of press about alleged damage to the Beidler Forest as a result of a critical transmission line upgrade Santee Cooper is planning to serve energy needs in Berkeley, Dorchester and Charleston counties.
These allegations have ranged from the clearcutting of ancient trees to the destruction of cultural heritage. Let me be clear — these claims are untrue and unfounded.
The Wassamassaw-Indian Fields 230kV project is a 21.5-mile line that has always been designed to be 100% located within a transmission corridor Santee Cooper has held since the 1940s, including the 1.5 miles that traverses Beidler Forest.
We have maintained our lines and structures in this transmission corridor with great care and respect for the forest that surrounds them and will continue to do so.
In fact, we’ve recently modified our design to be even more sensitive to Beidler Forest, moving from two transmission structures to a new row of single-pole structures that can hold two lines.
Our property won’t look much different when we are finished than it does today, and neither will the approximately 500-foot buffer between it and the Beidler boardwalk.
Santee Cooper has looked at other locations for this transmission line. Quite frankly, any other route would be longer, cost more money, and require the clearing of new property — meaning it would have far more environmental impacts than putting a new transmission line where an existing one has stood for decades.
Our process for planning the Wassamassaw-Indian Fields line was transparent and inclusive of the Audubon Society, which owns Beidler Forest. More to the point, this project will receive full environmental and other public reviews as it moves through the regulatory process. Our processes to bring future generation and transmission resources online will also be both transparent and offer opportunities for public engagement.
Santee Cooper has proven itself to be a good steward.
We are restoring hundreds of acres of wetlands at our Camp Hall commerce park located next door to Beidler Forest, where we are also permanently protecting over 2,650 acres and adding pollinator pathways and other wildlife support.
At Beidler, we also helped place a pollinator pathway of native plants on our easement beside the transmission line — and we have already marked off that pollinator pathway so that any construction equipment and activity related to this new project will stay outside its boundaries.
Beidler Forest is a beautiful cypress-tupelo swamp forest, with spectacular old-growth trees and native plants that support numerous bird and other wildlife species. It is a treasure for the state of South Carolina. Santee Cooper’s plans will not change that.
Santee Cooper is South Carolina’s electric and water utility. We’re proud to be owned by the people of this state, and we are honored to provide critical life-sustaining services to our neighbors.
When it comes to constructing new facilities, our project management philosophy prioritizes safety, transparency, engagement with the community, reduced impacts to property owners and the environment, affordability, and full regulatory compliance.
Jimmy Staton is the president and CEO of Santee Cooper.