On Friday, SCE&G ratepayers should have a better idea what their rates are for next year.
The South Carolina Public Service Commission is expected to announce their decision after a nearly month-long hearing into the rate fight.
The Commission first started hearing testimony early in November.
Now, a month and a half later, they're expected to announce their decision on new rates and approve or disapprove the selling process to Virginia-based Dominion Energy.
Friends of the Earth senior advisor Tom Clements told WLTX what he thinks will happen.
“I think the Public Service Commission is going to make a compromise deal and the ratepayers are going to get stuck with about the half the cost, which are going to end up costing us about 3 or 4 percent of the bill for the next 20 years. I don't agree with that but they're a political animal and I think that's probably what's to come out of this,” Clements said in front of the State House on Thursday.
Clements held a poster of what he called the ‘scene of the crime,’ the site of the failed VC Summer project.
Friends of the Earth and the Sierra Club are two of the groups intervening in the selling process for a full refund of the billions South Carolina ratepayers put into the now-failed nuclear project.
Throughout the hearing, critics of SCANA and SCE&G claimed the company knew for years the project was failing.
Clements said everything he’s heard during the hearing confirmed that in his mind.
“I don't think there was anything really new that was revealed during the PSC proceedings that lasted three weeks and ended a couple of weeks ago. The main thing that came out of them was there was imprudent behavior and billions of dollars wasted on the nuclear project and they should have stopped it much sooner,” Clements said.
Attorneys representing SCANA and SCE&G said it was a multitude of factors that led to the project's failing, including the failure of project partners and oversight by the Office of Regulator Staff.
But even though Clements does not think ratepayers will get a full refund, he is hopeful his group's decision to intervene made some change.
“We feel like we have accomplished something with all the proceedings and arguments before the public service commission in getting the costs to the ratepayers lowered,” Clements added.
On Thursday, SCANA declined to comment on the pending decision.
The Public Service Commission’s meeting is scheduled for Friday afternoon at 1 and they are expected to announce new rates and a decision on if Dominion’s attempt to purchase SCANA and SCE&G can continue.
Earlier this year, a temporary reduced rate was put into effect after a lengthy court fight. State legislators passed the temporary rate as part of a law along with refunds through the end of the calendar year.
The reduced rate saved the average customer $22 on their monthly bill.
State lawmakers, from both sides of the aisle, told WLTX they’re waiting on the Commission’s decision before deciding if more legislative action is needed.