State energy leaders officially sealed the deal Tuesday in Newberry on plans to turn more than five million tons of the county's wood waste into electricity.
The South Carolina Santee Cooper Power Utility Company is teaming up with Rollcast Energy on the $170 million project. Old woody trash, bark,mill residues, and tree tops will become new electricity sources for Newberry homes.
By 2025 energy leaders said there will probably be an additional 1 million people living in South Carolina.
"They, like you, will also want to make sure their lights come on when they flip that switch", said Santee Cooper President and CEO, Lonnie Carter.
Santee Cooper was the first utility company in the state to generate and sell renewable green power. Carter said the new wood waste-energy project is just as environmentally friendly.
"Santee Cooper's top priority is planning to meet the growing energy needs of our state both now and into the future", said Carter.
Rollcast Energy President Penn Cox said Newberry's heavy wood supply was a major attraction for the plant site. He also said he was thrilled with South Carolina's southern hospitality.
"How well everybody was able to pull together and help us get the information we need,help us find a suitable site, they’re not always easy to find," said Cox, "and they really helped us do that and really made it easy for us here.”
Cox said he hopes the energy plant will be ready for operation by 2011. It's opening will bring more than 200 new jobs to the state, but hiring won't start for at least another year.
Reach Washington at 803.254.2274
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