by Jack O'Toole

A controversial, 70-page energy bill designed to increase Palmetto State power production effectively died on the floor of the S.C. Senate this week. Members voted to replace the measure’s legally binding provisions with new language recognizing the need for future reform efforts instead.

In other words, they gutted the immediate impact of the bill, opting instead to simply say more power production was important. As a result, legislators are unlikely to debate the issue again until they reconvene for a new legislative session next January.

Bill critics like S.C. League of Women Voters Vice President Teague warned that the process next year will have to be more inclusive and sensitive to public concerns to win their support.

“The best thing about this Senate bill is that it doesn’t actually do any of the inadequately vetted things it talks about,” she said. “Going forward, we hope that legislators will understand that stakeholders participating in these discussions must include those of us concerned about protecting ratepayers and the public.”

Read the full article at the link above.