While there is still much that is not understood about the relationship between global climate change and human activities, it is clear that as a nation, we need to begin taking steps to reduce the release of carbon into our atmosphere.
As a national policy evolves to address global climate change, two focus areas that should be of highest priority are the economic impact to consumers and advances in technologies necessary to have meaningful reductions in emissions.
It is clear that any national policy resulting from the global climate change debate will have a large impact on all carbon emitters, including utilities that operate coal and/or natural gas plants. It’s important that a meaningful national environmental policy on global climate change strikes a reasoned balance between the costs associated with reducing emissions and the benefits to the environment.
A national policy should:
- Address all uses of carbon-based fuels and all sources of resulting greenhouse emissions. No single industry or region should be targeted.
- Be structured to maintain economic growth and stability.
- Have transparency on cost impacts to consumers.
- Provide for a reasoned and deliberate approach to any technology development and implementation related to generation and emissions reduction.
- Base new or prescribed sources of generation on a proven, commercially available technology with readily available fuel sources.
- Give credit to energy providers for technology and/or non-emitting sources of generation they already have put into place in any non-emitting portfolio standard (NEPS).
- Recognize and support nuclear power as a clean, non-emitting source of future generation.
SCANA has long been a good steward of the environment. We will proactively comply with any and all climate change regulations. Serving our customers and the local communities will continue as our primary focus as we work to better our environment today and into the future.
