ANDERSON COUNTY, S.C. (WSPA) – One of the nation’s largest public power utilities is looking to expand one of its power plants in South Carolina. The Rainey Generating Station near Iva is approved for an expansion of its power plant.
$470 million will be invested by Santee Cooper, a power and water provider in South Carolina.
The goal is to meet the growing demand on its electric grid.
“Santee Cooper has a comprehensive long range plan for building new generation and to meet all of that demand, but short term, we thought, what can we do that’s going to get power out there for the people sooner to meet the shorter term need,” said Mollie Gore, Santee Cooper spokesperson.
Santee Cooper utility company said the three year project will create three hundred construction jobs and seven full time jobs.
The expansion includes adding a turbine that creates power from steam and two heat recovery steam generators.
“What it does is it gives us an opportunity to generate about 20% more power at that station using the existing station, and not increasing fuel cost and not increasing our emissions rate,” said Gore.