Santee Cooper is holding hearings to get public input on its proposal for a 15 percent rate hike over two years, but an environmental group says it should be more focused on conserving energy.
The increase would be to pay for a new coal plant to be built in Florence County.
The Coastal Conservation League says the new coal plant would not be necessary if Santee Cooper would commit to energy efficiency programs.
Ben Moore, of the Coastal Conservation League said, "These programs could involve education, financial incentives or other consultancy that the utility could provide, as experts in the energy world to help them use energy more smartly."
Moore says efficiency programs would save an amount of energy that's equal to, or more than, what a coal plant would produce.
