Utility may pay for failed nuclear plant

The South Carolina House on Wednesday insisted a utility cut its rate by 18 percent to eliminate a fee customers are paying for two nuclear plants that were abandoned before generating a watt of power.

The few members on the losing side of the 104-7 vote warned their colleagues that they were playing a dangerous game of chicken with the state Senate, which passed a 13 percent cut for South Carolina Electric & Gas customers last week.

Now a conference committee of senators and House members has to come up with an agreement or there may be no rate cut at all. The General Assembly has seven more working days this session.

“I hope if we roll the dice, it is really worth that extra 5 percent,” said Democratic Rep. Russell Ott of St. Matthews.

But other House members said they owed it to ratepayers to assure they pay nothing more for the two mothballed reactors at the V.C. Summer Plant in Jenkinsville.

“If somebody steals 10 apples from you, and you get six back, that’s not right,” said Republican Rep. John McCravy of Hodges.

Gov. Henry McMaster’s renewed vow to veto any cut less than 18 percent complicates the issue. The Senate might not have enough votes to override a veto of a lesser cut. During last week’s debate it appeared there wasn’t majority support for the full cut either, which would take about $27 off the average customer’s monthly bill.