Latest news with #ThianchaiSitthikongsak
Yahoo
27-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Free market solutions for SC's energy future
Legislators are debating bills aimed at keeping up with electricity needs in South Carolina. (Stock photo by Thianchai Sitthikongsak via Getty Images) It is no secret that South Carolina has become a magnet for business, industry, and people. Since 2007, our population has grown by over one million, and the U-Hauls keep coming. The in-migration boom includes manufacturing and high-tech industries as well. This generational change has ramped up electricity demand, stressed the grid, and led to urgent public policy conversations about how to meet our future energy challenges. With apologies to Robert Frost, when it comes to our electricity market, two paths diverge in the Palmetto State wood. Will we choose 'more of the same' or reform? The most predictable incarnation of the 'more of the same' path would be for the General Assembly to simply survey the monopoly utilities, ask them what they want, and enact that. The result would be more generation and transmission capacity, but no change to the system. But our goals should not be just to keep the lights on — it should be about saving consumers money and fostering economic growth through modernization. Because the Southeast is a place where each utility has a defined territory and no wholesale or retail competition to speak of exists, to take the road most traveled would be easy, but unfortunate. So, what opportunities present themselves on the reform path? There are many, but in this space, we offer just two options. Each option is anchored in a fresh comprehensive study of the potential impacts. First, there is the establishment of an Energy Imbalance Market, or an EIM. The key study here is known as The Brattle Report (2023), prepared for the General Assembly's Market Reform Study Committee. An Energy Imbalance Market can be defined as a real-time market that actively manages and corrects discrepancies between the planned energy supply and actual demand. Put simply, the current market is about scheduled, planned electricity distribution, while an Energy Imbalance Market is a real-time correction mechanism that optimizes last-minute supply-demand mismatches. It enables energy providers to buy and sell electricity in five-minute settlement intervals, ensuring that energy supply matches demand as closely as possible at any given moment. According to Brattle, creating a regional or state wholesale energy market could save ratepayers up to $300 million annually by increasing efficiency, reducing operational costs, and improving energy distribution. Currently, two-thirds of the U.S. benefits from these competitive energy markets, but the Southeast is one of the last regions in the country without a regional wholesale energy market. By taking the lead in energy reform, South Carolina has the opportunity to set the standard for the region — delivering cost savings to residents, attracting new businesses, and ensuring a stable energy future. Secondly, the Palmetto State could allow limited retail competition. The key study here was conducted by Daymark (2024). On July 1, 1969, on the basis of the Territorial Assignment Act, the South Carolina Public Service Commission assigned territories to each utility. Choice of power provider was very limited. A customer located 'within 300 feet of certain lines of an electric supplier and partially within a service area assigned to another electric supplier' could choose. A football field's worth of choice is not much choice. We have been governed by this statute's framework ever since. In 1973, Georgia passed its Territorial Electric Service Act. It was more market driven. A large load exception allows a customer with a load of 900 kilowatts or greater to select its electric supplier on a one-time basis. (A 900-kW load would be approximately that needed by a Kroger, Publix, Home Depot, Lowe's or Target shopping center.) Power systems in Georgia compete for large customers all over the state. For example, a small Electric Membership Corporation (a co-op) in South Georgia may bid to provide service to a new industrial or commercial facility being built in North Georgia. The rivalry for new customers is intense, with the competing utilities offering potential customers lower rates and other amenities. The Georgia model, a 'willing buy through,' while not perfect, provides another option for implementing a competitive system in South Carolina. It has been said that 'there is no heavier burden than a great opportunity.' The energy debate we are in is a burden, but an Energy Imbalance Market and a large-load limited retail choice system are opportunities. Each is worthy of consideration in the crafting of broad energy reform for South Carolina.
Yahoo
25-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
NM Aging agency announces forums on dementia-related illnesses
A senior woman being assisted to walk using a walker by caregiver at park. (Stock photo by Thianchai Sitthikongsak via Getty Images) The New Mexico Aging and Long-Term Services Department will host three community forums throughout the state over the next three months to hear about experiences with Alzheimer's disease and other dementia-related illnesses and connect people with available services. The free forums, jointly produced by the aging department and the Alzheimer's Association, will be held in Silver City, Clayton and Tucumcari. 'No one should have to face Alzheimer's alone,' Emily Kaltenbach, secretary of the Aging and Long-Term Services Department, said in a statement. 'Whether they are caregiving for a loved one or facing a diagnosis themselves, we hope that we can start to break the silence around Alzheimer's, promote early detection, and ensure that everyone has the resources they need.' Silver City March 26, 3 to 5 p.m. Silver City Public Library, 515 W. College Avenue Clayton April 16, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Clayton Civic Center, 124 N. Front Street Tucumcari May 8, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tucumcari Convention Center, 1500 U.S. Route 66 RSVP to the forums by calling 505-404-9857. According to an ALTSD news release, organizers encourage attendees to share their stories of living with dementia, caring for someone with dementia, voice concern and ask about available services. Joey Long, aging department spokesperson, told Source NM an Alzheimer's Association's representative will be on hand at all three forums, as well as staff from the department's Consumer and Elder Rights Division, who will provide information about Medicare and Medicaid options, home-delivered meals, prescription drug assistance, caregiver assistance and legal service options. Kaltenbach will attend the Silver City and Clayton forums, while Deputy Secretary Antoinette Vigil will attend the Tucumcari event. During the recently completed legislative session, lawmakers passed several bills that will impact seniors in the state, including House Bill 131, which would tighten background checks for potential caregivers; and House Memorial 53, which requests more research be done on Alzheimer's disease, clinical trials and early detection, and asks the Aging and Long-Term Services Department and the Department of Health to work together in disseminating information to New Mexicans. Both passed and HB131 awaits a signature from Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
10-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Alzheimer's Albuquerque conference will provide info, resources
A senior woman being assisted to walk using a walker by caregiver at park. (Stock photo by Thianchai Sitthikongsak via Getty Images) More than 45,000 people live with Alzheimer's disease in New Mexico, according to the Alzheimer's Impact Movement, and over 65,000 New Mexicans serve as unpaid caregivers. In an effort to connect people with research, available services and strategies, the Alzheimer's Foundation of America is hosting free educational conferences in various states each month, including a stop in Albuquerque on March 12. Alzheimer's & Caregiving Educational Conference 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Wednesday, March 12 Sheraton Albuquerque Uptown Hotel, 2600 Louisiana Blvd. NE, Albuquerque Register online at The free conference is open to everyone and will include sessions for people diagnosed with a dementia-related illness, caregivers and family addressing topics on safeguarding the home, strategies for handling aggressive behavior in people with dementia, tips on healthy aging and legal planning. New Mexico Aging and Long-Term Services Department's Deputy Cabinet Secretary Antoinette Vigil will be on hand to answer questions about state services available to New Mexicans, such as community-based services, home health care and long-term care facilities. And Dr. Gary Rosenberg, a professor of neurology at the University of New Mexico, will host a session giving an overview of dementia-related illnesses, the common symptoms and warning signs people can look for, risk factors and the different diagnostic approaches. Serving seniors 'Alzheimer's disease affects thousands of New Mexico families, and events like this are critical for raising awareness about the condition and connecting caregivers with vital resources. The Aging and Long-Term Services Department is committed to ensuring that every New Mexican impacted by Alzheimer's—whether they are living with the disease or caring for a loved one—has access to the services and support they need,' Vigil said in a statement. Free memory screenings will also be offered to attendees during the event. And if people are not able to attend the conference in Albuquerque, they can still connect with services and ask questions at their local senior centers. Promoting awareness of Alzheimer's and related diseases, and the services available in the state is part of a larger goal of the Aging and Long-Term Services Department, according to the 2022-2025 New Mexico State Plan For Alzheimer's Disease and Other Dementias, as is supporting family caregivers and bolstering the state's caregiver workforce. Several bills in the current legislative session address issues related to seniors, caregivers and disabled residents, including: House Bill 131, which proposes stricter background checks for caregivers in response to an increase in severe cases of abuse, neglect and exploitation of disabled and older facility residents. The bill, which is supported by the Health Care Authority, is scheduled to be heard by the House Judiciary Committee this week. House Bill 149, which the Aging and Long-Term Services Department supports, proposes enacting the Supported Decision-Making Act. The act would allow people with disabilities and older people to retain their autonomy to make decisions, but with the assistance of a trusted person or team. Supported decision-making is an alternative to conservatorship. HB149 has cleared the House and is waiting to be scheduled for a hearing in the Senate Judiciary Committee. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
13-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Santee Cooper customers should expect a double cost hike in 2025 after years of frozen power rates
Electrical transmission power line. (Stock photo by Thianchai Sitthikongsak via Getty Images) Residential customers of South Carolina's state-owned utility will likely see their monthly bills go up twice this year — an average of $11 in April and $5 more in July for the typical customer. This second round of rate hikes come as Santee Cooper and its customers reach a legal settlement related to the failed expansion of the V.C. Summer nuclear plant in Fairfield County. Power customers sued the Moncks Corner-based utility after cost overruns and mismanagement led to the 2017 abandonment of the nuclear project — after Santee Cooper and its former partner, South Carolina Electric & Gas, spent $9 billion. Santee Cooper's share of the debt was $3.6 billion. Here's how much SC power customers are still paying for a failed nuclear project That lawsuit led to a rate freeze in 2020, which expired at the end of last year. While the utility was barred from raising electricity rates during that time, it was allowed to run up a tab for what the agreement called 'just and reasonable' expenses — such as costs related to natural disasters and other unplanned events. That bill is now coming due for the more than 200,000 customers Santee Cooper serves directly in Berkeley, Georgetown and Horry counties, as well as customers of South Carolina's power cooperatives that buy power from Santee Cooper. Santee Cooper's governing board signed off this week on an agreement deciding how much of those charges it would pass on to customers. Central Electric Power Cooperative, which buys power from Santee Cooper and other sources to supply the 19 power cooperatives around the state, signed off last week. The agreement still needs the approval of former state Supreme Court Chief Justice Jean Toal, the retired judge who has overseen the case, before it goes into effect. In all, Santee Cooper can charge for $550 million worth of expenses. It will bill about 65% of that to the cooperatives. The utility will take the hit for about $155 million, writing that off in the company's financial statement, Ken Lott, its chief financial officer, told the board. Santee Cooper will spread collections out over 14½ years starting in July, the utility's head attorney, Carmen Thomas, told the board. Central Electric CEO Rob Hochstetler said his agency and others involved in the lawsuit did manage to get the bill knocked down on some costs Santee Cooper had sought to recover: A spike in natural gas prices the utility had to pay after Russia's invasion of Ukraine and a fire at an Illinois coal mine that Santee Cooper relied on for its supply. Santee Cooper seeks potential buyers to restart failed SC nuclear expansion project 'In any kind of negotiation, no one gets everything they want, but we're better off than where we started,' he said. Central Electric also has been preparing cooperatives and their members for this added expense, Hochstetler said, factoring the anticipated increase into the rates it charges the cooperatives it buys for. In response, some cooperatives have held off on construction projects, instead saving the money so their customers wouldn't face as large a bill. Others have had to pass more of that cost on but have already started making adjustments so customers wouldn't feel the hit all at once. Hochstetler said having the payment spread over more than 14 years also is a plus. As South Carolina's population continues to grow, the cooperatives expect to gain more members to help share in the cost over time. 'The cost per member gets lower and lower,' Hochstetler said. 'It's the same amount of dollars, but we're shrinking it. That, to me, is good for our state.' This latest rate hike follows an earlier one approved by Santee Cooper's board in December. Executives asked for that bump, which starts in April, to cover a $40 million revenue deficit projected for this year and to cover the costs of building out its system to serve a growing customer base.
