SOUTH CAROLINA — Rep. Wendell Gilliard (D-Charleston) has said he will file a resolution this week calling for Dominion Energy, Inc. to honor its initial pledge to provide a rebate at an average value of $1,000 to SCE&G customers as part of a merger agreement.

Media experts have estimated that Dominion spent upwards of $1 million in its campaign promoting the benefits of a Dominion and SCE&G merger. However, the proposal approved by the Public Service Commission last December did not include the rebate for energy customers.

“I believe it is only right that Dominion honor a pledge they spent nearly a million dollars to sell to our people,” Gilliard stated. “By not honoring this pledge and taking back their word, this sets up a lack of trust between the people of South Carolina and this Virginia-based company from the start.”

Gilliard continued, “The people of South Carolina are folks to whom words and commitments matter. Dominion should show more honor and start this new relationship on the right track. They spent millions to tell us we would get an average of $1,000 back, and they haven’t spent a single dollar explaining why we didn’t receive our money, but the merger went through. This looks rotten to the citizens of our state.”

Gilliard submitted a letter to the Public Service Commission requesting an amendment of its list of requirements to include that Dominion honor the rebate to SCE&G customers. Other PSC requirements to Dominion include: no charge to SCE&G’s customers for the $180 million cost of buying a natural gas-fueled power plant in Gaston, purchased to replace power that would have come from the nuclear reactors; keep SCE&G’s headquarters and day-to-day operations in Cayce; and absorb the legal expenses associated with the merger and the nuclear project’s abandonment, rather than passing them along to ratepayers.

SC Legislative Black Caucus Chairman Rep. Jerry Govan (D-Orangeburg) issued the following comment on the proposed resolution: “I completely support Rep. Gilliard’s efforts to guarantee our citizens receive everything possible to mitigate this disaster. It is a fact that minority and economically distressed communities are hurt most by high energy costs. Dominion honoring their initial commitment directly helps these communities, our communities.”

By Kasie Strickland

kstrickland@cmpapers.com

Reach Kasie Strickland at 864-855-0355.