South Carolina customers could spend decades paying for abandoned nuclear project

NUCLEAR: SCANA officials told South Carolina regulators Tuesday the company plans to recover nearly $5 billion from customers over 60 years for its abandoned Summer nuclear project. (Bloomberg)

ALSO:
• An overview of the impact of abandoning the Summer nuclear expansion project. (Post and Courier)
• SCANA looked for other partners for its Summer plant before stopping construction, but couldn’t find any takers. (Charlotte Business Journal)
• Lawmakers are calling for an overhaul in how utility projects are reviewed following the abandonment of construction at the Summer nuclear plant. (Associated Press)
• The main contractor of the Summer nuclear plant, Westinghouse, said it is disappointed that the project has been abandoned and also announced its 5-year plan to recover from its related bankruptcy filing. (news release)
• An analysis says South Carolina’s failing nuclear power project – and overall industry decline – is detrimental to the fight against climate change and a boost for coal. (Bloomberg)
• Georgia is now the only state in the country with a nuclear plant under construction and the fate of nuclear power may hinge on it. (WABE, Bloomberg)

UTILITIES: August 21 is the next deadline in the regulatory process for Mississippi Power Co.’s Kemper plant that is forgoing ​“clean coal” for natural gas. (Mississippi Today)

CLIMATE :
• The mayor of Virginia’s sinking Tangier Island debated on Tuesday former Vice President Al Gore on climate change. (CNN)
• Arkansas-based Walmart says its Project Gigaton plan will significantly reduce greenhouse emissions by 2030. (Nashville Public Radio)
• Scientists say climate change has damaged historic Seminole sites in Florida. (Miami New Times)

COMMENTARY:
• A newspaper editorial says South Miami’s mayor deserves ​“a pat on the back” for the city’s new solar panel installation ordinance. (Sun Sentinel)
• A newspaper editorial board supports Dominion Energy’s wind farm project off Virginia’s coast, saying it ​“lessens our dependence on fossil fuels and portends a brighter future for the planet.” (Free Lance-Star)
• A guest columnist and professor says new wind farms in North Carolina are a key to boosting economic development in rural areas. (News & Record)