Renewable, clean energy in SC is likely to continue to grow, but slowly, under Trump – Carolina News and Reporter |

President Donald Trump’s professional policies are unlikely to stop the growth of renewable and clean energy in South Carolina.

Last month, Trump signed enforcement orders that stopped financing energy policies in the Law on Reducing the Inflation of Biden’s Administration. Orders also promote the enlarged natural gas drilling, which, like coal, is considered to be fossil fuel as it is non -renewable and releases greenhouse gases and dust particles into the air.

He declared a national energy emergency situation in his opening speech.

“The inflation crisis is caused by a massive exhaust and escalation of energy prices,” he said. “So today I will announce a national energy emergency situation. We will break through, honey, workout. “

Renewable energy, such as hydroelectric and solar energy, as well as nuclear energy, which is considered a pure source of energy, represents the greater part of the production of energy in South Carolina.

There was once a great opposition to the production of nuclear energy, but with the growing need for more power, support has increased from the administrations of Trump and Biden, said Rick Lee, chairman of the nuclear council of the governor of the National Assembly.

“I think we have undergone a little metamorphosis in the country,” Lee said. “I am convinced that we will continue to have support for the further development of the nuclear industry.”

The regulations and licensing that load the construction of new nuclear power plants continue, Lee said. He hopes that Trump’s choice for the Nuclear Regulations Commissioner David Wright, a former South Carolina use regulator, can fix it.

Wright is a supporter of reducing the licensing costs for nuclear power plants and improving the licensing process, he said.

“I am confident that this will lead to a shorter time to perform the operation of a power plant,” ” said Lee.

The future of South Carolina’s wind energy remains gloomy after Trump’s executive command. The order suspends all permits for future wind energy projects on federal lands and waters.

The Trump administration attack on wind energy will discourage all future projects, said Connor Harrison, a professor of economic geography at the University of South Carolina.

“The industry had its own challenges and when you look at Trump’s hatred of wind energy, I think it will be very difficult to move forward,” Harrison said.

Wind energy tends to be more reliable than other forms of renewable energy sources, Harrison said.

Solar farms run about 20 to 25% of the time, while the offshore wind power plants are closer to 50%, Harrison said.

Solar energy is subsidized by federal tax loans, which have been expanded under the Inflation Reduction Act, Harrison said. The production of solar panels has increased in the United States, so legislators probably would not want to eliminate the stimuli moving growth, he said.

“So the kind of thinking is that they will take a scalpel, not the cuvd of Ira,” he said.

Central Electric Energy Cooperative, Cooperative of Electricity, based in Colombia, received $ 500 million from the Law on Reducing Inflation for Renewable Energy Development, according to A A Press release from South Carolina’s electrical cooperativesS

The funds will be used to buy energy from nuclear and solar sources to be resold to members across the country, the press report said.

Amendments to the Law on Decreasing Inflation are likely to be minimal, Harrison said.

Even if significant changes are made, the growth of renewable energy caused by the act will probably continue, but at a lower pace, he said.

“I am inclined to think that we will continue to have some growth, just not as fast as it would be, in my opinion, with a different administration,” he said. “And especially not as fast as it should be, if you have any kind of concern about climate change.”