Santee Cooper / Century Aluminum Mess

[SC quacker2]

There can no longer be a doubt, if there ever was one, that Santee Cooper should be sold. A state owned / subsidized utility cannot match the power cost of an out-of-state provider for a major manufacturing employer???

[JABIII]

There can no longer be a doubt, if there ever was one, that Santee Cooper should be sold. A state owned / subsidized utility cannot match the power cost of an out-of-state provider for a major manufacturing employer???

Dibs on Sparkleberry.

[Rubberhead*]

Selling Santee Cooper would be a disaster unless you want more developments on Marion/Moultrie. Look at the WMA properties around the lakes and imagine them full of big houses occupied by folks from Ohio.

There are several things crushing the Aluminum industry including Barak's promise to bankrupt the coal industry, dumping of cheap overseas aluminum manufactured from cheap power because of the total lack of environmental requirements made worse now but very cheap fuel prices, and the cost of labor.

[Highstrung]

Sumter... Ohio, potato.. pototo...

[SC quacker2]

Selling Santee Cooper would be a disaster unless you want more developments on Marion/Moultrie. Look at the WMA properties around the lakes and imagine them full of big houses occupied by folks from Ohio.

There are several things crushing the Aluminum industry including Barak's promise to bankrupt the coal industry, dumping of cheap overseas aluminum manufactured from cheap power because of the total lack of environmental requirements made worse now but very cheap fuel prices, and the cost of labor.

Century is wanting to buy power from another provider and pay Santee Cooper $12 million a year to transmit it on an already existing infrastructure. Why can Santee Cooper not provide power at a competitive cost? This is not a Century Aluminum or aluminum industry problem. Santee Cooper is the problem.

[Rubberhead*]

You're right. I'm sorry.

[JABIII]

So are we gonna get this swamp deal done or what?

[SC quacker2]

You're right. I'm sorry.

Glad we have that straight. So why can Santee Cooper not supply power at a competitive rate to another US provider?

[JABIII]

You're right. I'm sorry.

Somehow, I doubt the veracity of this communication.

[bbhntr48]

Why should Santee Cooper have to continue to offer a reduced rate just because Century can't make a profit? They have been on a reduced energy/tax rate since Alumax built the place. Sounds like the economy plus a bad business model has caught up with them. Not Santee Coopers job to keep a billion dollar business afloat.

[JABIII]

Damn I miss 1980's ALCOA...

[SC quacker2]

Why should Santee Cooper have to continue to offer a reduced rate just because Century can't make a profit? They have been on a reduced energy/tax rate since Alumax built the place. Sounds like the economy plus a bad business model has caught up with them. Not Santee Coopers job to keep a billion dollar business afloat.

They are proposing buying power at a much cheaper rate from another US provider and paying Santee Cooper to transmit it to them. Why can Santee Cooper not provide power at a competitive rate?

[PBiz]

Aren't Santee Cooper's power costs the cheapest in the country?

[reeltight]

They are proposing buying power at a much cheaper rate from another US provider and paying Santee Cooper to transmit it to them. Why can Santee Cooper not provide power at a competitive rate?

Santee's largest plant is by far Cross Generating station. Still a coal fired plant that provides most of Santee's power. Georgetown still provides a decent amount of power as well. For the most part, all other of Santee's plants are just peaking stations. Same rule applies to power plants as anywhere. You buy in bulk you get cheaper prices.

Duke leverages this better than anyone. Also, most of the big players in the power industry have switched and are switch to natural gas combined cycle steam plants with HRSG's (Heat recovery steam generators). In short, even the fumes of a combined cycle plant are producing power. Although Coal is clean and efficient, they require more maintenance and that drives cost. Duke's combined cycle plants are really clean, twice as efficient and require less maintenance. Couple that with Duke's buying power and it makes Santee and SCE&G look like small potato's

[reeltight]

Aren't Santee Cooper's power costs the cheapest in the country?

I don't have Santee Power so I cannot comment on their rates. I know our plant in Manning as Santee and are in contract with them for supplying their industrial valves and we still have to beet them over the head regularly about their rates...but that's not my department. I just hear tidbits.

[SC quacker2]

Santee's largest plant is by far Cross Generating station. Still a coal fired plant that provides most of Santee's power. Georgetown still provides a decent amount of power as well. For the most part, all other of Santee's plants are just peaking stations. Same rule applies to power plants as anywhere. You buy in bulk you get cheaper prices.

Duke leverages this better than anyone. Also, most of the big players in the power industry have switched and are switch to natural gas combined cycle steam plants with HRSG's (Heat recovery steam generators). In short, even the fumes of a combined cycle plant are producing power. Although Coal is clean and efficient, they require more maintenance and that drives cost. Duke's combined cycle plants are really clean, twice as efficient and require less maintenance. Couple that with Duke's buying power and it makes Santee and SCE&G look like small potato's

So why are we going to let Santee Cooper, a state owned / subsidized utility, run off a company that pays $50 million alone in salaries? This is Santee Cooper's problem, not American aluminum as they tell us.

[reeltight]

So why are we going to let Santee Cooper, a state owned / subsidized utility, run off a company that pays $50 million alone in salaries? This is Santee Cooper's problem, not American aluminum as they tell us.

It's only a matter of time before Duke gobbles both SCE&G and Santee up. SCE&G will be first.

[coon hunter]

It's only a matter of time before Duke gobbles both SCE&G and Santee up. SCE&G will be first.

SCE&G is broke. They are closing their Holly Hill office. Which means that if I needed to go pay my bill because if forgot to mail payment or apply for a new service I would have to drive to Walterboro (35 minutes one way)

[Rubberhead*]

So why are we going to let Santee Cooper, a state owned / subsidized utility, run off a company that pays $50 million alone in salaries? This is Santee Cooper's problem, not American aluminum as they tell us.

Oh man, why did I bow out of this thread so early...

[reeltight]

SCE&G is broke. They are closing their Holly Hill office. Which means that if I needed to go pay my bill because if forgot to mail payment or apply for a new service I would have to drive to Walterboro (35 minutes one way)

They are also in the process of closing their smaller coal fired plants. I know they are in a difficult place...that's why I said they'd be first.