The re-opening of the Canadys station to function as a natural gas plant, has garnered a lot of attention from residents and organizations alike. Representatives from Santee Cooper sat down with The Press and Standard to outline what can be expected with the collaboration with Dominion Energy to bring Canadys back online.
Santee Cooper, along with Dominion Energy, are committed to providing a clean energy source for the residents of Colleton County present and into the future. According to flochamber.com, South Carolina was the 4th fastest growing state in the United States in 2024. Santee Cooper’s goal is to “continue meeting customer demand in one of the nation’s fastest growing states while ensuring reliable and affordable power.” New demand requires additional resources and turning the Canadys Station into a natural gas facility can meet those demands. Santee Cooper and their partner Dominion Energy are “both experienced operators of natural gas generating facilities across South Carolina” and look forward to meeting this demand for the Colleton County area with the Canadys Station. Once the facility is online Canadys will supply approximately 2,000 megawatts (MW) of electricity which is enough to power approximately 500,000 homes.
The Canadys Station is a retired coal-fired facility that was closed in 2013 by SCE&G. The original plan was to convert Canadys to natural gas before closing them in 2017, but that plan did not come to fruition. Now Santee Cooper and Dominion Energy have taken on the task to bring Canadys back online as a natural gas facility. Natural gas as a source of energy will provide “around the clock reliable and dispatchable power.” There will be an economic impact in the area too. The tax revenue provided over the station’s lifespan will provide monetary support to the community. Construction of the new facility will provide jobs in the area as well as work opportunities that will be available once the station is complete.
Through their work at the Canadys Station, Santee Cooper wants to fulfill their mission “to be the state’s leading resource for improving the quality of life for the people of South Carolina.”
