COLUMBIA — A controversial energy bill is heading to the House floor over the continued opposition of consumer and environmental advocates, who say changes fell far short of addressing concerns over fast-tracking a new power plant in South Carolina.

A House committee voted unanimously Wednesday to advance the legislation introduced last month by Speaker Murrell Smith of Sumter, R-Sumter.

The bill gives permission for Dominion Energy and state-owned utility company Santee Cooper to partner on a possible 2,000-megawatt natural gas plant on the site of a former coal-fired power plant along the Edisto River in Colleton County. But in the process, it introduces sweeping regulatory changes that have drawn significant criticism and rolls back consumer protections.

The Southern Environmental Law Center, in a statement, said despite tweaks made by House members, the bill “continues to favor utility bottom lines over South Carolinians’ pocketbooks.”

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Lynn Teague, a lobbyist for the League of Women Voters, said the new language is better in that it does not so flagrantly overstep regulators.

"However, the message is still there that the General Assembly has already made its decision and wants it to be rubber-stamped,” Teague said.

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