SCE&G First Utility in South Carolina to Achieve 42 Megawatts of Utility-Scale Solar
SCE&G has met the utility-scale solar goal set forth by the South Carolina Distributed Resource Program Act, or Act 236, by producing 42 megawatts (MW) of utility-scale solar power by 2020. The achievement was celebrated today, along with the dedication of the Otarre Solar Park. Otarre Solar Park developer TIG Sun Energy and project builder Hannah Solar Government Services participated in the dedication ceremony.
“We are pleased to have reached this goal for utility-scale solar power ahead of the 2020 deadline,” said Keller Kissam, incoming president and COO of SCE&G. “When we started working to achieve the goals, we also set out to demonstrate that solar isn’t just a program, but it’s an integral part of our generation portfolio. It’s a part of our future and the future of South Carolina. We’re happy to celebrate this important milestone today with TIG and Hannah Solar. They’ve been true partners in helping establish greater access to clean energy for our customers.”
Otarre Solar Park facts:
•The construction and interconnection of Otarre Solar Park brought an additional 1.62 MW of utility-scale solar power to SCE&G’s grid.
•The park is located on Saxe Gotha Road in the Otarre development corridor of Cayce, adjacent to the corporate campus of SCANA, parent company of SCE&G.
•Otarre Solar Park, which consists of 6,156 panels, provides enough electricity to power approximately 320 homes.
•The solar park was interconnected to SCE&G’s electric system in October 2017 and now supplies clean energy to SCE&G customers.
TIG Sun Energy, a division of The InterTech Group, financed, owns and operates the facility, while Hannah Solar Government Services engineered, designed and built the park. TIG Sun Energy also developed the Jerry Zucker Solar Park in Charleston, SCE&G’s first utility-scale solar facility and the first developed under the South Carolina Distributed Resource Act of 2014.
“We are thrilled to play a role in further establishing solar energy in South Carolina’s future energy portfolio,” said Grant Reeves, senior vice president of The InterTech Group. “Our work on the Otarre Solar Park is yet another way we’re advancing sustainable energy technology in our state and around the world.”
SCE&G has been evaluating and pursuing additional renewable energy sources since 2007. After forming a dedicated renewable energy team in 2013, SCE&G worked with stakeholders from across the state, including conservation groups and other utilities, to develop Act 236, which established net energy metering rules, introduced distributed energy programs and allowed customer access to solar leasing options. There are nearly 6,000 solar customers who are interconnected to SCE&G’s electric system by owning and operating renewable energy generation facilities, such as solar energy systems.
About SCE&G
South Carolina Electric & Gas Company is a regulated public utility engaged in the generation, transmission, distribution and sale of electricity to approximately 717,000 customers in 24 counties in the central, southern and southwestern portions of South Carolina. The company also provides natural gas service to approximately 362,000 customers in 35 counties in the state.
About TIG Sun Energy and the InterTech Group
The InterTech Group formed TIG Sun Energy and its affiliates to hold and manage solar investments in their quest to advance renewable energy development in South Carolina. TIG Sun Energy built the state’s first solar farm in Colleton County and the first solar park commissioned after the passing of the landmark Distributed Energy Resource Act of 2014. The InterTech Group is a family-owned holding company located in North Charleston, S.C. that invests diversely, creating opportunities in a variety of industries including aerospace, manufacturing, and sustainable energy development, among others.
About Hannah Solar Government Services
Hannah Solar Government Services is a veteran-owned business specializing in the design, installation, and maintenance of solar PV energy systems. Serving the government, commercial/industrial, and utility marketplaces, HSGS’s breadth of experience includes projects that span the continental United States as well as overseas.
