Santee Cooper personnel are making preparations for the effects anticipated winter weather may have on Santee Cooper’s customers, the South Carolina public power utility said on Jan. 29.
Approximately 2 million South Carolinians depend on the state-owned electric and water utility as their power source, either directly or through the state’s electric cooperatives.
As of noon on Jan. 29, Santee Cooper moved to Operating Condition (OpCon) 4 alert status. This means there is a possible threat to Santee Cooper’s electric system, but effects may be limited or uncertain.
At OpCon 4, the utility is primarily:
• Completing freeze protection checklists for generating station equipment.
• Preparing to have additional personnel on site at generating stations in the event of road closures.
• Ensuring adequate inventory of all consumables at generating stations in the event deliveries are delayed because of lengthy road closures.
• Coordinating with neighboring utilities to ensure grid reliability.
“Santee Cooper is securing resources to prepare for the frigid temperatures forecast for the weekend,” said Marty Watson, Senior Director, Commercial and Customer Service. “The extreme cold weather means customers will be using more electricity. As a result, bills may increase. We encourage customers to be aware of their energy use and implement energy-saving measures to help combat higher bills.”
