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CLOSED CAPTIONING PROVIDED BY BUFORT COUNTY.
UH, BUT WE'LL GET STARTED ON THE MEETING TODAY, WE HAVE, UM, WE HAVE OUR UTILITY PARTNERS GIVEN US AN UPDATE.
UM, IT'S BEEN A CONCERN FOR EVERYBODY, UH, WITH ALL THE GROWTH.
UM, VERNA FROM B-J-W-S-A ISN'T HERE YET, SO, UM, ASHLEY HAS, UH, GRACIOUSLY AGREED TO, UH, START US OFF THIS MORNING, KICK IT OFF, GET OFF, AND FOR THE PUBLIC WHEN THERE'S QUESTIONS, SO THAT WE, WE HAVE A GOOD GAUGE ON OUR TIME.
WE'LL HAVE ALL THE QUESTIONS FOR ALL THREE PRESENTERS AT THE END.
SO MAKE A LITTLE NOTE, UM, IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS, AND WE'LL, WE'LL OPEN UP QUESTIONS AT THE END.
AND WE PUT A MICROPHONE OVER THERE SO THAT IT GETS RECORDED.
THAT ALL THAT DONE? ASHLEY FESTER.
SO I, I'VE BEEN TOLD THOUGH I HAVE TO STAY RIGHT HERE.
I'M ASHLEY FESTER FROM PODO ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE.
I'M EXCITED TO BE HERE WITH YOU THIS MORNING.
NOW, I HAVE TO SAY, I HAVE, I HAVEN'T SEEN THIS TABLE QUITE SO BARE, SO I'M WONDERING IF IT'S ME, IF IT'S UTILITIES.
BUT, UM, I, A VAN EMAILED AND SAID ALL THE ONES COMING FROM NORTH OF BROAD.
OH, AN ACCIDENT FOR THE ACCIDENT.
WELL, I, I MEAN, IT, IT IS WHY WE'RE HERE TODAY, RIGHT? UM, TALKING ABOUT ALL THIS GROWTH AND ALL THE FUN THINGS.
UM, I WANNA KICK THINGS OFF A LITTLE BIT, JUST TALKING A LITTLE BIT ABOUT PALMETTO ELECTRIC, KIND OF THE BASICS, THE 1 0 1, AND I'M GONNA BE QUICK AND BRIEF.
UM, BUT I DO FEEL LIKE IT'S, IT'S IMPORTANT 'CAUSE I FEEL LIKE A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T QUITE KNOW THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE DIFFERENT ELECTRIC UTILITIES AND EVERYTHING THAT WE DO OR DON'T DO.
UM, SO FIRST, FIRST AND FOREMOST, PALMETTO ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE.
WE ARE A DISTRIBUTION, UH, COOPERATIVE UTILITY, E ELECTRIC DISTRIBUTION.
SO WE DO, WE DISTRIBUTE FROM TRANSMITTED, UM, SUBSTATIONS TO THE HOME.
UM, WE WERE FORMED IN 1940 UNDER THE TVA TENNESSEE VALLEY AUTHORITY, UM, ALLOWING FARMERS IN RURAL AREAS TO, UH, COOPERATIVELY COME TOGETHER AND TO PULL, UM, WHAT THEY NEED TO DO TO, TO BE ABLE TO BRING POWER TO THE RURAL AREA.
SO, UM, IF YOU LOOK AT OUR FOOTPRINT OF THE MAPS, AND OUR MAPS ARE DICTATED BY STATE LAW, UH, AND, AND BASICALLY TELL US WHERE WE CAN AND, AND CANNOT, UM, DISTRIBUTE POWER.
UH, IF YOU LOOK AT THOSE MAPS, TYPICALLY, YOU'LL SEE A LOT OF OUR, OUR BIGGER AREAS AND THE MORE RURAL, OR WHAT USED TO BE THE RURAL AREAS BACK IN THE SIXTIES, SEVENTIES.
UM, IF YOU LOOK AT HILTON HEAD, WE PROVIDE ALL THE POWER TO HILTON HEAD.
UM, AND THAT'S BECAUSE BACK IN THE SIXTIES, UM, YOU KNOW, THAT THAT WAS A, A DIFFERENT, IT WAS A RURAL AREA.
UH, BUT TODAY IT'S A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENTLY.
TODAY, WE SERVE 79,000 CUSTOMERS, UH, WITHIN BUFORT HAMPTON AND JASPER COUNTIES.
WE ALSO DO HAVE, UM, A NUMBER OF METERS, HANDFUL OF METERS IN ALLENDALE COUNTY.
UH, WE EMPLOY 152 EMPLOYEES, UH, ACROSS FOUR DIFFERENT OFFICES, UH, IN HAMPTON RIDGELAND, HARDY V AND HILTON HEAD ISLAND.
AND WE ARE GOVERNED BY A BOARD OF 12, UH, DIRECTORS OR TRUSTEES.
UH, AND THEY MAKE POLICY DECISIONS ON BEHALF OF THE MEMBERS, AND THE MEMBERS VOTE FOR THOSE BOARD MEMBERS EVERY YEAR.
UM, AND WE ALSO, UH, WORK VERY HARD, UH, TO SUPPORT OUR COMMUNITY THROUGH COST SAVING PROGRAMS, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, UH, AND PHILANTHROPIC PARTICIPATION.
UM, JUST QUICKLY, THE MISSION OF PO AND ELECTRIC IS TO DELIVER COMPETITIVELY PRICED, RELIABLE ENERGY AND INNOVATIVE SERVICES TO THE MEMBERS, UM, AND ALSO PROVIDE SUPPORT AND LEADERSHIP TO OUR COMMUNITIES.
AND WE TAKE PRIDE IN THAT, UH, ESPECIALLY THAT LEADERSHIP AND SUPPORT TO OUR COMMUNITY IS PART, UM, AND RELIABILITY.
SO, JUST TO TALK, I THINK WHAT A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T QUITE UNDERSTAND, UM, IS KIND OF THE PROCESS BY WHICH WE WORK UNDER ON A STATE LEVEL.
UH, THERE ARE 20 COOPERATIVES AROUND THE STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA.
PALMETTO ELECTRIC IS ONE OF THEM.
UH, WE, LIKE I MENTIONED, DISTRIBUTE POWER TO HOMES, TO BUSINESSES, TO, UM, INDUSTRY.
AND WHAT WE DON'T DO IS WE DON'T GENERATE POWER, WHICH
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IS A BIG KEY, AND I'M GONNA COME BACK TO THAT AT THE END OF MY PRESENTATION.UH, WE ACTUALLY HAVE WHAT IS CALLED CENTRAL ELECTRIC POWER, UH, UH, COOPERATIVE.
IT IS A COOPERATIVE BUILT OF ALL OF THE COOPERATIVES ACROSS SOUTH CAROLINA, THE 20 COOPERATIVES.
AND BASICALLY WHAT THEY DO IS THEY WORK TO PURCHASE WHOLESALE POWER GENERATED POWER.
THEY WORK TO FIGURE OUT HOW THAT POWER IS GOING TO BE TRANSMITTED TO, UH, SWITCHING STATIONS THAT WOULD BRING IT DOWN TO WHERE WE CAN DISTRIBUTE IT TO CUSTOMERS AND TO MEMBERS.
UH, WE PURCHASE, UH, CENTRAL ELECTRIC, AND I SAY WE, WE ARE ALL ONE COOPERATIVE.
UH, OUR MEMBER, OUR BOARD MEMBERS, UM, SIT ON THE BOARD OF, OF CENTRAL, OUR, OUR COOPERATIVES EACH REPRESENTED ON THOSE CENTRAL COOPERATIVE BOARD.
UH, AND WE AS COOPERATIVES WORK TO PURCHASE THAT POWER.
70% AROUND THAT OF OUR POWER GENERATION COMES FROM SANTI COOPER, WHICH IS A STATE-OWNED, UH, UTILITY, UH, GENERATING POWER.
UM, SOME OF IT IS FROM DUKE, AND, AND SOME OF IT IS FROM SOUTHEASTERN POWER ADMINISTRATOR, UM, ADMINISTRATION, UM, WHICH IS A CO A COLLABORATIVE.
UM, OUTSIDE OF BRINGING IN DIFFERENT GENERATED POWER AND MIXES, WE DO HAVE A LOT OF DIFFERENT GENERATED POWER MIXES, OBVIOUSLY, HERE, HEAR THE, THE, THE WORD OF COAL AND HOW THAT'S BEING, UM, TRYING TO BE TAKEN OFFLINE, WHICH WE ARE WORKING THROUGH ALL THAT ON THE FEDERAL SIDE.
UM, BUT THE NUCLEAR GAS, UH, RENEWABLES, SOLAR, WATER, HYDRO, UM, AND, AND WIND ARE ALL STARTING TO BECOME PART OF THAT MIX.
AND, AND WE PRIDE OURSELVES ON TRYING TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE STAYING IN THAT INNOVATIVE REALM.
SO, UM, LIKE I SAID, WE BRING IT OUT, IT'S TRANSMITTED, THEN WE DISTRIBUTE IT TO OUR MEMBERS.
SO WHEN WE LOOK AT GROWTH AND PLANNING, UH, WE TAKE THIS IN A, UM, A VERY PRIDEFUL MANNER, AND WE ALSO LOOK AT IT IN A VERY PROGRESSIVE VERSUS REACTIONARY MANNER.
WE DON'T WANNA BE TOLD THAT WE NEED TO BRING, FIGURE OUT HOW TO BRING FIVE MEGAWATTS TO A SITE AND NOT KNOW HOW OR NOT HAVE PLANNED FOR IT.
UM, SO WHEN WE LOOK AT THINGS, WE LOOK AT THINGS ON A FIVE YEAR STRATEGIC PLAN BASIS.
WE UPDATE THAT STRATEGIC PLAN, YOU KNOW, EVERY THREE AND A HALF TO FOUR YEARS, MAKING SURE THAT WE HAVE OUR, OUR EYES, OUR, OUR, OUR THUMB ON THE PULSE OF EVERYTHING THAT'S GOING ON, UM, IN THE, IN THE AREA, THE GROWTH PATTERNS.
UM, BUT WHAT WE DO IS WE ALSO COME IN AND WE TAKE THAT OUT OF A 20 YEAR LONG RANGE PLAN.
UM, AND THAT 20 YEAR LONG RANGE PLAN IS UPDATED EVERY 10 YEARS.
UH, WE ARE ACTUALLY GOING INTO NEXT YEAR LOOKING AT WHAT THAT NEXT 10 YEARS IS GOING TO BE TO MAKE SURE THAT 20 YEAR PLAN IS LOOKING AT WHAT'S GOING OCCURRING NOW AND WHAT WE SEE GOING ON IN THE FUTURE.
UM, SO WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT THAT, WE'RE LOOKING ALSO, LIKE I MENTIONED, RELIABILITY IS PART OF OUR MISSION.
UM, I AM HAPPY TO SAY WE ARE TOP 5% OF THE NATION FOR RELIABILITY FOR ELECTRIC DISTRIBUTORS.
UM, AND BUT THOUGH WITH THAT COMES CHALLENGES, UM, GROWTH OBVIOUSLY IS A CHALLENGE.
UM, FEDERAL LEGISLATION, LIKE I MENTIONED, YOU KNOW, WE'RE WORKING THROUGH THE WORLD OF TRYING TO BRING DOWN WITH OUR DIFFERENT GENERATION, UM, UH, ASSETS THROUGH SANTI COOPER, THROUGH DUKE ENERGY, UM, AND WHATNOT.
TRYING TO UNDERSTAND WHAT BRINGING DOWN COAL FIRED PLANTS IT MEANS TO US, AND HOW DO WE MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN RESPOND AND PROVIDE THE POWER TO OUR MEMBERS IN A COST EFFECTIVE WAY, UM, THAT MEETS THE TECHNOLOGY STANDARDS OF TODAY.
AND I'M GOING TO SAY THIS, AND I'M SURE BLAKELY WILL BACK ME UP HERE.
LOOK, WE, WE ARE ALL FOR RENEWABLES.
WE'RE WORKING THROUGH, WE HAVE RENEWABLES THAT OUR OFFICES, UM, ON, ON OUR SOLAR FARMS. WE'RE TRYING TO UNDERSTAND THAT, BUT THE TECHNOLOGY IS STILL DEVELOPING.
UM, AND IF WE LOOK AT WHAT WE NEED TO DO TO GET BATTERIES, YOU KNOW, THAT ARE HOLDING THE POWER THAT SOLAR CAN ONLY PRODUCE DURING SUNLIGHT HOURS, UM, AND MAKING SURE THOSE BATTERIES RUN ON A RELIABLE WAY TO POWER UP WHAT WE NEED ON A DAILY BASIS AND, AND HOT TEMPERATURES AND COLD TEMPERATURES, WHEN PEAK DEMAND IS AT ITS HIGHEST, UM, WE'RE NOT QUITE THERE YET.
AND SO IF WE'RE TAKING DOWN COAL-FIRED POWER AREAS, OR, OR COAL FIRED POWER, UM, GENERATORS, WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT RELIABILITY STAYS THE SAME, RIGHT? SO WE'RE LOOKING, YOU KNOW, WHAT DO WE DO FOR NATURAL GAS? HOW DO WE FIND, YOU KNOW, MORE IN-STATE TO TYPE OF, OF GENERATION TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN SUPPLY OUR STATE, OUR AREA, OUR MEMBERS, UM, LONG TERM AND ON PEAK DEMAND TIMES.
UM, AND I'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THAT, UM, IN, IN A LITTLE BIT.
UM, OTHER, OTHER THINGS, ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS.
OBVIOUSLY, WE ARE WORKING THROUGH CHANGES THAT ARE OCCURRING IN ENVIRONMENTS.
I MEAN, I THINK, HARRY, I KNOW YOU, YOU AND I HAD TALKED ABOUT THIS BEFORE, BUT, YOU KNOW, LONG HAIR BATS FROM UP NORTH COMING INTO OUR AREAS ARE CHANGING THE ASPECTS
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OF HOW WE GO ABOUT EASEMENTS AND HOW WE GO ABOUT RIDE OF AWAYS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.UM, AND THEN OTHER THINGS LIKE COST, UM, AND SUPPLY CHAIN.
UM, I, AND I, I PULLED IT FROM ONE OF, UH, THINGS THAT WE SENT OUT TO OUR MEMBERS, A PAD MOUNT TRANSFORMER IN 2020 $1,650.
AND THAT'S THE TRANSFORMER THAT YOU FIND IN THE PAD THAT IS IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD, RIGHT? UH, IN 2023, THAT SAME PIECE OF EQUIPMENT IS $3,483, OKAY? UM, COST PER FOOT FOR WIRE THAT WE'RE RUNNING 1.64, WELL, A DOLLAR AND 64 CENTS, NOW IT'S $3 AND 22 CENTS.
ALL RIGHT? SO YOU'RE SEEING 96, 111% INCREASES IN WHAT WE'RE DEALING WITH.
AND WE'RE TRYING TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR A OUR, OUR, OUR MEMBERS CAN AFFORD THAT, AND OUR RATE PAYERS CAN AFFORD THAT AND UNDERSTAND HOW WE DO THAT WITHOUT RAISING RATES AND, AND, AND WHAT WE NEED TO DO.
UM, THE OTHER SIDE IS, IS SUPPLY CHAIN 2020 CHANGED A LOT OF DIFFERENT THINGS IN OUR WORLD.
UM, PART OF THAT WAS OUR SUPPLY CHAIN AND HOW WE GET THINGS AND, AND THE, AND THE SPEED AT WHICH WE GET THINGS.
UM, BACK THEN IT TOOK US A YEAR TO GET A SUBSTATION TRANSFORMER.
NOW I CAN TELL YOU IT TAKES THREE YEARS, AT LEAST AT THIS POINT, AND WE'RE ALL TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT DO WE DO TO GET THOSE TRANSFORMERS HERE TO DEAL WITH PROJECTED GROWTH, WHICH COST A LOT OF MONEY AND NOT PUT IT ON OUR MEMBERS' BACKS, UM, BEFORE THEY HAVE, BEFORE WE ACTUALLY NEED IT.
SO WE DON'T WANNA HOLD ONTO A, A, A VERY EXPENSIVE ASSET, RIGHT? THAT WE DON'T YET NEED.
SO WE'RE TRYING TO FIGURE ALL THAT IN A NEW WORLD THAT WE'RE LIVING IN, IN THE SUPPLY CHAIN.
SO THOSE ARE CHALLENGES THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT.
NOW, LET'S GO THROUGH KIND OF WHERE WE ARE TODAY AND, AND, AND WHAT PALMETTO'S DOING WITH, UM, THE GROWTH THAT WE HAVE GOING ON.
UM, AN EXAMPLE, MAYOR PERRY, UM, HILTON HAD UNDERGROUNDING, THIS IS PART OF THAT 20 YEAR, YOU KNOW, HOW DO WE SEE THINGS, AND THIS WAS BACK IN 2004 WHEN A SIGN AN AGREEMENT WAS SIGNED FOR UNDERGROUNDING.
UM, AND THIS IS PUTTING ALL THE, THE OVERHEAD, UM, POLES UNDER THE GROUND ON HILTON HEAD ISLAND.
UM, AND DAN, I KNOW YOU WERE, YOU WERE A BIG PART OF THIS WHEN THIS WAS ALL GOING ON, BUT, YOU KNOW, THAT TOOK A LOT OF FORESIGHT.
IT TOOK A LOT TIME, A LOT OF TIME BEFORE 2004 TO HAVE THAT HAPPEN.
UNDER BUDGET AND ON TIME, UNDER BUDGET AND ON TIME,
UM, YOU KNOW, SO, SO LOOK, I MEAN, 2004, THE AGREEMENT WAS SIGNED.
IT TOOK A LOT OF YEARS BEFORE THAT TO GET THAT AGREEMENT TO BE SIGNED.
UM, IT WAS A 15 YEAR WORK PLAN.
UM, IT, IT COST $34.7 MILLION.
UM, AND IT A COMMITMENT OF THE TOWN TO PUT THEIR FRANCHISE FEES INTO THAT INVESTMENT.
UM, AND IT WORKED OUT WONDERFULLY.
WE HAD, WE HAVE 3,574 POLES THAT WENT DOWN 1,238 OVERHEAD TRANSFORMERS AND 115 MILES OF LINES THAT ALL WENT UNDERGROUND.
UM, AND THE INFRASTRUCTURE IS THERE TODAY.
I WILL SAY IT, WE HAD SOME LAST BIT OF FINAL UP STUFF, BUT MOST OF IT WAS COMPLETED IN 2019.
UM, AND THEN SOME FINAL, FINAL FINALIZED STUFF THAT HAD TO HAPPEN OVER THE COURSE OF 2020, WHICH WE ALL KNOW IS A VERY STRANGE YEAR.
UM, AND THEN WE REMOVED THE LAST POLL, AND YOU CAN SEE OUR ALIGNMENT WITH THAT IN 2021.
THAT IS OFF OF JONESVILLE ROAD, WHICH, UM, WAS A FUN DAY, UH, TO BE OUT THERE AND WATCH HAPPEN.
UM, SO THAT'S, AGAIN, AGREE, UNDERSTANDING THE, THE PLANNING THAT GOES BEHIND THAT.
UM, IN HARDY V RIGHT NOW WE'RE WORKING THROUGH THE C CLAUS SITE.
UH, AND THIS IS, I'M GONNA TRY AND MOVE, STAY WITH THE MICROPHONE.
UM, YOU'LL SEE THIS IS THE LARGE SITE AT CLARIUS.
WE ARE RIGHT NOW IN THE, IN THE PROCESS OF, OF BUILDING A SUBSTATION.
YOU CAN'T QUITE SEE IT IN THIS PICTURE, BUT THE FENCE IS GOING UP.
THE SUBSTATION, UM, IS BEING CONSTRUCTED.
UH, I KNOW STANT COOPER, ALONG WITH CENTRAL ELECTRIC ARE THE ONES THAT ARE WORKING WITH US TO, UM, TO EXTEND THE TRANSMISSION LINES, UH, THAT WILL HELP, WILL GO TO THAT SUBSTATION, UM, THAT'S ALL ON TRACK AND SCHEDULED TO OCCUR IN NOVEMBER.
UM, BARRING ANY OF THOSE, THOSE CHALLENGES.
SO, YOU KNOW, ENVIRONMENTAL AND THINGS LIKE THAT ALL, YOU KNOW, COME INTO PLAY.
BUT, UM, AS FAR AS THE SUPPLY SIDE OF IT, WE'VE PLANNED AHEAD AND, YOU KNOW, A FEW YEARS AGO MADE SURE THAT WE HAD THAT TRANSFORMER FOR THAT SUBSTATION COMING IN.
UM, EAST SERGEANT, ANOTHER HUGE GROWTH AREA THAT WE HAVE BEEN LOOKING AT, AND WE'VE BEEN LOOKING AT IT FOR QUITE A NUMBER OF YEARS.
UM, WE ARE RIGHT NOW IN THE PROCESS OUR, WE HAVE THE SUBSTATION, UH, TRANSFORMER THAT WILL, WILL NEED TO BE BUILT.
UM, WE HAVE THAT ORDERED, AGAIN, THREE YEAR TURNAROUND TIME, WE HAVE THAT ORDERED.
UM, WE ARE WORKING RIGHT NOW TO FINISH THE ACQUISITION OF THE LAND NEEDED TO BUILD THAT SUBSTATION, UM, AND, AND LOOK FORWARD TO, UM, BEING ABLE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE PROVIDING EVERYTHING NEEDED IN THE FUTURE FOR FUTURE GROWTH THERE.
I KNOW CORY'S BEEN WORKING WITH JUBILEE, UM, SCHOOLS
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AND WORKING ON WHAT THEY NEED IN THE FUTURE AS THEY GO FROM THEIR CAMPUS THAT THEY CURRENTLY HAVE RIGHT NOW TO A, AN ACTUAL BUILT CAMPUS IN A TRANSFORMER THAT'S NEEDED FOR THEIR OWN ACTUAL, UM, CAMPUS.SO, YOU KNOW, THESE ARE ALL FORWARD THINKING ITEMS. UM, AND I'M JUST, OH, I'M GOING THE WRONG DIRECTION.
HOW DO I GO BACK? UM, AND I'LL SPEED THROUGH THIS REAL QUICK, JUST A COUPLE THINGS.
OUR COMMITMENT TO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, AND I THINK WE WERE TALKING AT THE LAST MEETING AND WE TALKED ABOUT MEGAWATTS.
I THINK SOMEBODY BROUGHT IT UP.
AND I JUST WANNA GIVE EVERYBODY AN EXAMPLE OF MEGAWATTS OF WHAT'S NEEDED.
AND THIS WILL COME IN WHEN I TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT GENERATION, YOU KNOW, TO, TO POWER A SUPER WALMART, FOR EXAMPLE, YOU NEED A ONE.
IT'S ABOUT ROUGHLY ONE MEGAWATT TO POWER THAT, THAT SUPER WALMART.
NOW, IF WE WERE LOOKING AT A GOOGLE CALL CENTER OR A GOOGLE, UM, UH, DATA CENTER COMING IN HERE, WE'RE TALKING 300 MEGAWATTS, OKAY? IS WHAT THEY WOULD NEED.
AND THESE ARE LOADS THAT WE'RE STARTING TO SEE COME IN AND, AND, AND ASKING ABOUT OUR AREA.
UM, YOU KNOW, JUST THE OTHER DAY I HAD A, I HAD A, I HAD A RFI COME IN THAT IT WAS ASKING IF WE COULD MEET THE DEMAND OF 90 MEGAWATTS OF POWER IN THE NEXT FIVE YEARS.
AND THAT'S A LOT WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT WHAT WE HAVE NOW.
TO GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE OF WHAT OUR SYSTEM, AND, AND I'LL TALK ABOUT A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THIS, BUT OUR MAX, OUR MAX PEAK WAS RIGHT UNDER 500 MEGAWATTS.
OKAY? OUR, ALL OUR ALL TIME MAX PEAK WAS RIGHT UNDER 500 MEGAWATTS.
SO WHEN SOMEBODY COMES IN AND SAYS, OH, WE'RE LOOKING AT A DATA, A DATA CENTER HERE, AND WE NEED 300 MEGAWATTS, THAT'S NOT, THAT'S NOT US.
THAT'S US PREPARING ON, ON WHAT WE NEED FOR EQUIPMENT FOR THAT.
BUT WE GOTTA FIGURE OUT WHERE WE'RE GONNA GENERATE THAT FROM AND HOW WE'RE GONNA GENERATE THAT.
UM, THAT'S THE, THAT'S THE WORLD OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.
I'M, I'M PROUD TO SAY PALM ELECTRIC DOES A REALLY GOOD JOB WITH OUR POWER SOUTH CAROLINA POWER TEAM OF, OF WORKING THROUGH ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND INCENTIVIZING IT.
UM, YOU KNOW, JUST, WE HAVE A DEDICATED STAFF, MYSELF AND OTHERS WITH THE POWER TEAM.
UM, WE WORK THROUGH, I KNOW A LOT OF YOU ARE THE RECIPIENTS OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT ACT, UTILITY TAX CREDITS.
UH, I KNOW WE, WE, UM, GAVE SOME THIS YEAR TO THE TOWN OF BLUFFTON.
UM, WE'VE GAVE TO, GIVEN TO THE TOWN OF HILTON HEAD, HAMPTON COUNTY, JASPER COUNTY IN THE PAST.
UM, SO WE HAVE $600,000 OF, OF TAX LIABILITY THAT WE CAN PLACE TOWARDS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT TO QUALIFY PROJECTS OWNED BY A COUNTY OR TOWN, UM, THAT MEET THE STANDARDS.
UH, AND WE, WE LOOK, WE ALWAYS LOOK FORWARD TO DOING THAT ANNUALLY.
UM, SOUTH CAROLINA POWER TEAM SITE READINESS FUND, I KNOW TOWN OF BLUFFTON RIGHT NOW IS CURRENTLY UNDER A THIRD PARTY REVIEW.
THEY'VE APPLIED FOR, UH, SITE READINESS FUND, UM, UH, UH, GRANT.
UM, AND, AND I HAVE TO SAY, YOU KNOW, THAT'S $59 MILLION, UM, AND MORE FROM INVESTED BY SOUTH CAROLINA COOPERATIVES TO THAT ACROSS THE STATE.
UM, AND THAT'S COMBINED WITH THE, THE COUNTIES OR THE TOWNS THAT ARE ASKING FOR THAT.
IT'S $268 MILLION THAT ARE GOING IN IN INVESTMENTS.
UM, THE COOPERATIVE RECRUITMENT AND EXPANSION FUNDS, UM, THESE ARE TWO, UH, EXPANSION OF IN INDUSTRY.
I KNOW WE'VE LOOKED AT, UH, TYCO, FOR EXAMPLE, IN JASPER COUNTY, UM, AS A RECIPIENT OF THOSE, AS THEY EXPANDED THEIR OPERATIONS.
UM, L THREE HARRIS, I KNOW WE'VE DONE SOME THINGS, AND I THINK THEY ALSO DID, UM, UH, ENOUGH SKILL INCENTIVE WHERE THEY HAD SOME NEW MACHINES COME IN.
THEY HAD EMPLOYEES THAT NEEDED TO BE TAUGHT HOW TO USE THOSE UPSCALE OR UPSKILL TO USE THOSE MACHINES, AND WE HELPED CONTRIBUTE TO THEM TO DO THAT.
UM, WE ALSO HAVE OUR SIDE ADVANCEMENT FUND.
THIS IS SOMETHING THAT THE TOWN OF HILTON HEAD USED TO HELP FIGURE OUT HOW TO USE THE SUMMIT DRIVE PROPERTY OVER BY THE AIRPORT AND GET EVERYTHING NEEDED FOR, UM, FOR FEASIBILITY STUDIES AND, UM, ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENTS.
UM, AND THEN PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT.
THIS IS FOR TOWN STAFF, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STAFF THAT WANT TO GO AND GET THEIR CXD OR, UM, SOUTH CAROLINA ADVANCED SYMPOSIUM, OR THE IED CS.
WE HELP, UM, PROVIDE SCHOLARSHIPS TO THAT.
AND THEN, UM, STRATEGIC PLANNING INITIATIVES.
YOU KNOW, IF YOU HAVE, UH, A, A COUNTY, UH, BEAUFORT COUNTY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION OR, OR THE SOUTHERN CAROLINA ALLIANCE THAT'S LOOKING TO DO SOME TYPE OF STRATEGIC PLANNING FOR CERTAIN AREAS, UH, WE ALSO INCENTIVIZE THAT.
AND ALSO, JUST BRIEFLY, ALSO, IN THE LAST FOUR YEARS, WE'VE GOTTEN INVOLVED IN THE WORLD OF BROADBAND AND FIBER, BRINGING FIBER TO RURAL AREAS.
UM, IN 2020, WE ALL KNOW WHAT HAPPENED.
WE HAD A LOT OF STUDENTS THAT COULDN'T FIGURE OUT HOW TO ACCESS THEIR, THEIR HOMEWORK AND THEIR, THEIR SCHOOL FROM HOME.
UM, AND OUR, ESPECIALLY IN OUR RURAL AREAS, UM, THE BROADBAND ACCESSIBILITY ACT WAS PASSED VERY FAST, UM, BY THE STATE LEGISLATURE.
AND WE WORKED TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THAT COULD DO FOR US.
WELL, IT ALLOWED US TO PARTNER WITH PALMETTO RURAL, UH, TELEPHONE COOPERATIVE TO, UM, INVEST MONEY IN INFRASTRUCTURE TO RUN POWER TO RUN BROADBAND
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ACROSS OUR LINES THAT WERE ALREADY UP AND, AND AND RUNNING.SO WHAT WE HAVE DONE OVER THE LAST FOUR YEARS, UM, IS WE'VE BROUGHT 8,000 PLUS MEMBERS IN RURAL, UNDERSERVED, UNDERSERVED, AND UNDERSERVED AREAS.
UM, THE ACCESSIBILITY TO BROADBAND, UH, I'M EXCITED TO SAY WE HAVE MEMBERS SIGNING UP DAILY, UM, WITH THAT PROGRAM, UH, WE BEGAN THOSE, I GUESS, AS I MENTIONED, IN 2021.
AND THE CONSTRUCTION TO ALL OUR RURAL AREAS IS COMPLETE AS OF TO DATE.
UM, WE ARE WORKING TO EXPAND THAT THOUGH A LITTLE BIT BEYOND WHERE WE'RE, UM, WE ARE TO TODAY.
AND IF ANYBODY HAS, WANTS INFORMATION ON THAT, THEY CAN GO TO PALMETTO LINK US.
UM, NOW I'M GONNA GO BACK TO GENERATION 'CAUSE I THINK THAT'S THE HOT TOPIC THAT WE'RE ALL TRYING TO UNDERSTAND AND PUT OUR HANDS AROUND.
UM, THERE WAS AN ARTICLE, UH, LAST WEEK THAT CAME OUT BY PAUL BASHA, WHO'S THE CEO FOR ONE OF OUR COOPERATIVES.
UM, AND I THINK HE SAID IT, HE SAID IT REALLY WELL.
IF WE, IF WE WERE A CAR RUNNING ON EMPTY, UM, YOU KNOW, WE, OR IF WE WERE A CAR, WE'D BE RUNNING ON EMPTY.
UM, THAT'S, THAT'S KIND OF WHERE WE ARE WITH ELECTRIC GENERATION.
UM, WE REALLY NEED TO GET A HOLD OF THIS.
UM, DECEMBER 24TH, 2022, CHRISTMAS EVE, I DON'T KNOW IF ANYBODY REMEMBERS THIS.
YOU MAY NOT HAVE BECAUSE YOUR POWER STAYED ON HERE FOR THE MOST PART.
WE DID HAVE SOME FACILITY STUFF GOING ON HERE LOCALLY, BUT ON THE GENERATION SIDE, UH, SANTI COOPER HAD TO BLACK OUT A NUMBER OF CUSTOMERS ACROSS THE STATE.
SO NORTH CAROLINA HAD BLACKOUTS ACROSS THEIR STATE BECAUSE THE GENERATION, IT WAS A VERY COLD, FREEZING TEMPERATURES, AND THEY COULDN'T PROVIDE ENOUGH GENERATION TO, TO MEET THOSE DEMANDS.
NOW, THINK OF THIS ON DECEMBER 20, ON DECEMBER 24TH, WHAT TYPICALLY IS GOING ON? MOST COMPANIES ARE NOT RUNNING AT FULL SERVICE, RIGHT? THEY'RE NOT, MOST INDUSTRY IS GONE HOME FOR THE HOLIDAY OR, OR CUT SERVER, CUT THEIR, THEIR, THEIR SHIFTS DOWN FOR THE HOLIDAY.
WELL, IF THIS WERE ONE OF THOSE DAYS WHERE IT WASN'T A CHRISTMAS EVE, WE WOULD'VE BEEN IN A MAJOR, MAJOR PREDICAMENT ACROSS THE STATE AT A MUCH HIGHER LEVEL THAN WE, THAN WE ACTUALLY WERE.
THIS CAUSED OUR LEGISLATORS TO REALIZE THERE'S A PROBLEM.
UM, THE NORTH AMERICAN ELECTRIC LIABILITY CORPORATION, THEY ARE A, A KIND OF A, A, AN A PARTY THAT LOOKS AT THINGS FROM WITHOUT, WITHOUT BIAS, YOU KNOW, THEY SAID WE'RE AN AT RISK STATE.
UM, AGAIN, YOU KNOW, WHAT DOES THIS, CAUSE WE HAVE A HUGE IN, IN INCREASE IN POPULATION.
WE ALSO ARE SEEING THOSE, YOU KNOW, THE SCOUT, THE, THE, THE AMAZONS, THE DIFFERENT THINGS THAT ARE GOING ON ACROSS THE STATE THAT ARE INCREASING OUR GROWTH WITH REGARDS TO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.
SO INDUSTRY, UM, AND THEN WE'RE SEEING THE, THE NEED FOR FED ON FAILURE REGULATIONS OF HAVING TO CLOSE DOWN COAL FIRE PLANTS AND NOT QUITE HAVE WHAT WE NEED TO BACK THEM UP.
UM, AND SO HOW DO WE SOLVE THIS PROBLEM? WELL, RIGHT NOW, I WOULD SAY THERE'S A BILL, AND IT'S ACTUALLY GOING UP FOR DEBATE TOMORROW FOR SECOND RATING, UM, IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES FOR SOUTH CAROLINA H 5 1 18.
IT'S THE ENERGY TRANSFORMATION ACT.
UM, THIS BILL HAS GONE TO SUBCOMMITTEE AND IT HAS GONE THROUGH A NUMBER OF AMENDMENTS.
UM, I'M HAPPY TO SAY AS OF LAST WEEK WHEN IT WAS, UM, WHEN IT WAS GOING THROUGH AMENDMENTS, IT, IT WORKED OUT FAVORABLY, I BELIEVE, FOR BOTH, ALL THE COOPERATIVES FOR I BELIEVE DOMINION.
I DON'T WANNA SPEAK ON THEIR BEHALF, BUT I KNOW LIKELY WE'LL TALK ABOUT THIS A LITTLE BIT.
UH, BUT WE FEEL LIKE THE BILL IS IN A GREAT PLACE TO BE ABLE TO DO WHAT WE NEED TO DO TO START WORKING THROUGH THE GENERATION ISSUES THAT, THAT NEED TO HAPPEN ACROSS THE STATE.
UM, SO A COUPLE OF THE THINGS THAT IT DOES, IT REFORMS THE PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION.
THERE'S A LOT OF RED TAPE THAT IS REQUIRED WHEN YOU'RE TRYING TO BRING NEW GENERATION ONLINE.
UM, SO IT DOES SOME THINGS TO HELP REFORM THAT.
UM, IT AUTHORIZES JOINT CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS BETWEEN SANTI, COOPER AND DOMINION.
I KNOW BLAKELY IS GOING TO TALK SPECIFICALLY ABOUT THAT.
UM, MAKES IT EASIER TO BUILD NATURAL GAS PLANTS PROMOTES ENERGY EFFICIENCY AND RENEWABLES, UM, AND ENCOURAGES ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.
THERE'S A, A NUMBER OF THINGS IT DOES.
THE MAIN THING IS IT IS HELPING US LOOK INTO THE STATE OF WHAT WE NEED TO DO TO PROVIDE GENERATION IN THIS STATE THAT WE CAN RELY UPON.
YOU KNOW, WE DON'T WANNA BE TEXAS AND LOOKING AT GENERATION OUTSIDE OF OUR STATE BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THEY HAVE ISSUES, THEY'RE GONNA MAKE SURE THE PEOPLE THAT THEY ARE SERVING IN THEIR STATE ARE, ARE TAKEN CARE OF FIRST, NOT SOUTH CAROLINA.
SO WE NEED TO FIGURE OUT THIS ISSUE FOR OURSELVES.
UM, AND, AND I BELIEVE THE COOPERATIVES ARE IN SUPPORT OF THIS BILL, UM, AS IT IS, AS IT READS TODAY.
NOW, I, I DO BELIEVE IT'LL PROBABLY SEE SOME AMENDMENTS, UM, GO UP FOR DEBATE TOMORROW.
UH, I'M NOT SURE WHAT THOSE WILL HAVE IN, IN STORE.
UM, BUT I WILL SAY AS IT STANDS TODAY, AS IT READS TODAY, WE ARE IN FAVOR OF IT.
IT NEEDS TO HAPPEN SOONER VERSUS LATER.
[00:25:01]
OUR DELEGATION IS IN SUPPORT OF IT, UH, AND WE'VE BEEN ON THE PHONE AND TALKING WITH THEM DIRECTLY.UH, AND, AND VERY HAPPY TO EVERYBODY HAS HAS SAID THAT THEY AGREE WITH WHAT'S, WHAT IT'S SAYING RIGHT NOW.
UM, I KNOW SENATOR DAVIS ON THE SENATE SIDE HAS PROPOSED A BILL.
UM, THERE ARE, IT'S IN SUBCOMMITTEE AND THERE ARE DEFINITELY SOME CHANGES I KNOW THAT WE FEEL NEED TO HAPPEN THERE.
UM, BUT I THINK WHAT'S GONNA END UP HAPPENING IS THIS IS GOING TO BECOME THE VEHICLE THAT MOVES OVER TO SENATE AND, AND WE WORK THROUGH ALL THOSE ISSUES OVER THE NEXT COUPLE WEEKS, UM, BEFORE CROSSOVER.
UM, BUT I, I, YOU KNOW, FOR ALL OF YOU, I, I WOULD DEFINITELY SUGGEST READING MORE IN INTO THIS, BUT IT IS SOMETHING THAT WE NEED TO ADDRESS.
UM, WITH THAT SAID, I'M GONNA CLOSE IT UP FOR MYSELF.
I THINK MAYOR WILLIAMS, YOU SAID YOU WANNA DO QUESTIONS AT THE END, SO I'LL HOLD UP AND LET BLAKELY TAKE OVER.
AND AS YOU CAN SEE, THE WORD GOT OUT, HOW GOOD THIS PRESENTATION WAS, AND THE TABLE FILLED UP AS YOU DAD, THE TOE TRUCKS ARRIVE.
AND THANK YOU EVERYBODY WHO HAD TO FIGHT THE TRAFFIC JAM.
IT WAS, TRAFFIC WAS PUSHING THIS MORNING.
IT
I'M BLAKELY WILLIAMS WITH DOMINION ENERGY AND IT'S SO GOOD TO BE WITH YOU ALL TODAY.
THANKS FOR LETTING ME TALK ABOUT, UM, DOMINION ENERGY AND HOW WE ARE SUPPORTING THIS AMAZING COMMUNITY THAT WE ALL GET TO LIVE IN AND ALL THE GROWTH THAT WE ARE EXPERIENCING IN THE DAYS TO COME.
EVERYTHING WE DO AT DOMINION ENERGY IS AROUND PROVIDING RELIABLE, AFFORDABLE, AND INCREASINGLY CLEAN ENERGY THAT POWERS OUR CUSTOMERS EVERY DAY.
WITH ME TODAY IS EVAN WHEELER.
HE IS OUR ENGINEER AND DISTRICT MANAGER.
AND SHANE KIMBALL, HE IS THE LOCAL MANAGER FOR OUR BLUFFTON AND HARDY OFFICES AND AN ENGINEER AS WELL.
THANK YOU FOR BEING WITH US TODAY, GUYS.
TODAY WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT HARDENING THE GRID, INCREASING CONNECTIVITY, IMPROVING RESILIENCY, AND LOOKING FORWARD FOR HARDENING THE GRID.
WE LIVE HERE IN THIS BEAUTIFUL COASTAL SOUTH CAROLINA.
AND SO THAT MEANS THAT AS A COMPANY, WE HAVE TO DO SIGNIFICANT CONTRIBUTIONS, MAKE SIGNIFICANT EFFORTS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE ABLE TO PROVIDE THAT SAFE, RELIABLE AND AFFORDABLE ENERGY LIVING IN A COASTAL CLIMATE, LIVING IN A HURRICANE ZONE, LIVING IN, UH, RISING SEA LEVELS.
IT'S CREATING AN INTERESTING CONVERSATION AROUND INFRASTRUCTURE THESE DAYS.
AND IT'S OUR JOB TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE IN IMPROVING AND ENHANCING OUR INFRASTRUCTURE.
ONE OF THE WAYS THAT WE'RE DOING THAT IS MAKING VERY BIG INVESTMENTS IN OUR TRANSMISSION LINES.
WE HAVE TWO BIG TRANSMISSION PROJECTS COMING UP IN BUFORT AND JASPER COUNTIES.
UM, WE FEEL THAT THESE ARE ABSOLUTELY CRITICAL IN ORDER FOR US TO BE ABLE TO CONTINUE TO PROVIDE RELIABLE AND SAFE AND AFFORDABLE ENERGY.
THE FIRST ONE I'M GONNA TALK ABOUT TODAY IS IN BUFORT COUNTY.
THIS IS WHAT WE'RE CALLING THE BURTON TO FROGMORE LINE BURTON IS IN CENTRAL BUFORT, IF YOU WILL.
IT'S THAT ONE 70 CORRIDOR, UM, NEAR WHERE OUR OFFICES ARE IN, UM, ROBERT SMALLS.
WHAT WE'RE GOING TO BE DOING FROM OUR BURTON TO FROGMORE FROGMORE'S ON THE SEA ISLANDS OUT THERE NEAR ST.
HELENA, UM, IS REBUILDING AN EXISTING ONE 15 KV ELECTRIC TRANSMISSION LINE.
UM, AND WE THINK THIS IS JUST CRITICAL TO WHAT WE HAVE TO DO.
THIS, UM, IS A RENDERING OF WHAT THE TRANSMISSION LINE LOOKS LIKE TODAY.
UH, THIS IS A REBUILD PROJECT, SO WE'RE GONNA BE TAKING THE EXISTING WOOD POLES AND THEN HARDENING THE SYSTEM, HARDENING THE GRID.
THIS IS ABOUT SIX MILES, AND IT'LL BE DONE EXCLUSIVELY ON EXISTING RIGHT OF WAY IN OUR TRANSMISSION CORRIDOR.
UM, AND THIS IS A RENDERING OF WHAT THE NEW LINES WILL LOOK LIKE AFTERWARDS.
SO THEY'RE DESIGNED TO MEET ALL MODERN ELECTRIC CODES, AS WELL AS PROVIDE ADDITIONAL RELIABLE AND RESILIENCY ALONG THE ROUTE.
THE OTHER MAIN, UM, TRANSMISSION PROJECT WE HAVE COMING UP IS IN JASPER COUNTY, AND WE'RE CALLING THAT THE JASPER TO OAK D TO RIVERPORT TRANSMISSION LINE.
MANY OF YOU IN THIS ROOM WILL REMEMBER THE SIGHTING STUDIES, THE OPEN HOUSES THAT WE'VE HAD AT THE HARDY VALE REC CENTER OVER THE PAST TWO YEARS.
IN ORDER TO PREPARE FOR THIS NEW TRANSMISSION LINE, UH, WE'RE GONNA BE INSTALLING TWO NEW, TWO 30 KV LINES IN JASPER COUNTY.
UH, AND A TWO 30 KV LINE IS THE CADILLAC.
IT'S THE BIGGEST AND MOST VOLTAGE THAT WE HAVE IN DOMINION ENERGY IN SOUTH CAROLINA.
SO IT'S GONNA BE A LOT OF POWER, UH, COMING ONLINE.
AND THIS INVESTMENT JUST ACKNOWLEDGES THE GROWTH THAT WE ARE ALL EXPERIENCING AND THE GROWTH THAT WE KNOW IS GONNA CONTINUE TO COME TO JASPER COUNTY.
THIS IS THE, UH, ROUTE, AND AGAIN, THANK YOU TO MANY OF YOU WHO HAVE PARTICIPATED IN OUR SELECTION STUDY FOR THAT.
UM, IT HELPED US, YOUR INPUT HELPED US DETERMINE THE BEST POSSIBLE ROUTE.
RIGHT NOW WE ARE IN EASEMENT ACQUISITIONS, UM,
[00:30:02]
AND, UM, AND MAKING SOME NEW FRIENDS.UM,
THE NEXT PART OF THE PRESENTATION I WANTED TO FOCUS ON TODAY IS INCREASING CONNECTIVITY.
AND WE WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT WE KNOW THAT THIS IS ONE OF THE FASTEST GROWING COMMUNITIES IN THE COUNTRY, AND CERTAINLY IN OUR DOMINION ENERGY FOOTPRINT.
SO WE'RE MAKING SIGNIFICANT FINANCIAL INVESTMENTS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE ABLE TO ACCOMMODATE Q CURRENT GROWTH AS WELL AS FUTURE GROWTH.
UH, THESE ARE SOME OF OUR RECENTLY COM COMPLETED PROJECTS HERE IN BEAUFORT AND JASPER COUNTY.
UM, THE FEEDERS THAT ARE REFERENCED HERE BEFORE ARE THE BACKBONE OF THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM.
SO AS WE BUILD OUT, WE MAKE ADDITIONAL TIES, AND THESE TIES INCREASE CONNECTIVITY AND CREATE REDUNDANCY, AND THAT JUST MEANS A MORE RELIABLE SERVICE THAT WE'RE ABLE TO OFFER.
I WANTED TO TOUCH ON SOME OF OUR ONGOING AND FUTURE PROJECTS.
IF THESE NAMES SOUND FAMILIAR TO YOU, IT'S BECAUSE THESE ARE THE PROJECTS THAT WE'RE ACTIVELY WORKING ON.
I OFTEN JOKE WITH MANY OF YOU IN YOUR OFFICES THAT YOUR PROJECTS ARE OUR PROJECTS, SO THEY PROBABLY DO LOOK PRETTY FAMILIAR TO MANY OF YOU IN THE ROOM.
I WANTED TO TOUCH ON IMPROVING RESILIENCY.
SADIE IS THE SYSTEM AVERAGE INTERRUPTION DURATION INDEX.
THAT'S A LONG WAY TO SAY HOW LONG IS THE AVERAGE CUSTOMER OUT OF POWER EACH YEAR? AND I'M HAPPY TO SAY THAT DOMINION ENERGY SOUTH CAROLINA HAS BEEN UNDER 90 MINUTES PER CUSTOMER IN THE PAST YEAR, UH, IN EACH OF THE PAST FIVE YEARS.
UH, THE AVERAGE OVER OUR PAST THREE YEARS IS ABOUT 82 MINUTES, AND THAT PUTS US NATIONALLY IN ABOUT THE TOP 20% OF ALL INVESTOR-OWNED UTILITIES.
SO THIS IS ABOUT RELIABILITY AND OUR ABILITY TO CONTINUE TO SERVE YOU ALL.
AND THIS, THIS GRAPH JUST ILLUSTRATES THAT WE'VE MADE IMPROVEMENTS TO OUR SYSTEM OVER TIME TO INCREASE RELIABILITY AND TO DECREASE THE AMOUNT OF TIME THAT OUR CUSTOMERS ARE WITHOUT POWER.
THIS BAR GRAPH IS JUST AN EFFORT TO SHOW OUR IMPROVING RESILIENCY IN AN IMPROVING RESILIENCY.
I WANTED TO TOUCH ON TREE TRIMMING.
IT IS OFTEN NOT FUN, BUT IT IS, IT, IT IS CRITICAL TO OUR EFFORTS TO BE ABLE TO DO THIS.
THE IMPORTANCE OF VEGETATION MANAGEMENT CAN'T BE UNDERSTATED.
UM, IT IS CRITICAL TO, UM, ALLOW FOR FASTER RESTORATION AFTER STORMS. THE NUMBER ONE, ONE REASON THE POWER GOES OUT IS LIMBS ON THE LINE.
AND SO ONE OF THE MAIN THINGS THAT WE DO IS FOCUS ON REGULAR MAINTENANCE CYCLES OF TREE TRIMMING.
JUST FOR A FUN FACT, HERE IN SOUTH CAROLINA, WE HAVE OVER 12,862 MILES OF OVERHEAD LINE THAT WE HAVE TO MAINTAIN.
AND ALSO IN OUR TRANSMISSION LINES, IT'S 3,770 MILES THAT WE ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR MAKING SURE THAT WE CAN CONTINUE TO PROVIDE THAT SAFE, RELIABLE AND AFFORDABLE ENERGY.
AS WE LOOK FORWARD, WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU KIND OF KNEW SOME OF THE THINGS THAT ASHLEY WAS TOUCHING ON.
THIS IS FROM OUR 2022 INTEGRATED RESOURCE PLAN.
AND IF YOU CAN READ THE CHART, WHAT IT'S SHOWING YOU IS HOW OUR POWER IS GENERATED.
WHAT ARE THE FUEL SOURCES FOR ELECTRIC GEN GENERATION? NATURAL GAS IS IN THE BLUE AT 43%.
THAT'S OUR NUMBER ONE SOURCE FOR GENERATING POWER.
OUR NEAREST FACILITY IS RIGHT HERE IN JASPER COUNTY OR RIGHT THERE IN JASPER COUNTY.
UM, AND IT'S AT PLANT JASPER, WHICH IS IN BURG.
UM, ASHLEY TOUCHED ON A LOT OF THINGS.
THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS THAT ARE UNDER INVESTIGATION RIGHT NOW.
DOMINION ENERGY HAS A LARGE WIND PROJECT THAT WE'RE WORKING ON.
WE'RE WORKING ON BATTERY STORAGE SOLUTIONS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
THERE'S LOTS OF NEW STRATEGIES THAT ARE UNDER INVESTIGATION, BUT UNTIL THEN, THIS IS HOW WE ARE ABLE TO GENERATE POWER.
SO AS WE LOOK FORWARD, WE WANTED TO BRIEF YOU ALL ON A HOT TOPIC THAT'S GOING ON IN COLUMBIA.
THIS IS THE SAME BILL THAT ASHLEY WAS TALKING ABOUT.
THE HOUSE BILL ONE 18 KENNEDY'S IS THE LOCATION THAT WE WANT TO SEE THIS, THIS ACTIVITY TAKE PLACE.
KENNEDY'S IS A RETIRED COAL FIRE PLANT THAT DOMINION ENERGY OWNS IN COLLEGE AND COUNTY RIGHT UP THE ROAD ON 95.
WE'RE PURSUING A JOINT VENTURE OPPORTUNITY WITH SANT COOPER TO CREATE A NATURAL GAS POWERED ENERGY STATION AT THIS SITE.
UM, THIS IS REPRESENTATIVE JAY WEST AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I WANTED TO POINT OUT WAS THAT HE SAYS WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT THE GENERATION, WE HAVE THE GENERATION IN THE FUTURE TO MEET THE FUTURE DEMAND THAT MAY BE COMING DOWN THE PIKE.
AND WE ALL KNOW THAT IT IS COMING DOWN THE PIKE.
SO WE DO NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE MAKING PROACTIVE STEPS IN PREPARING FOR THIS.
AND THEN I CAN'T GET OUTTA HERE WITHOUT GIVING YOU A SAFETY BRIEFING 'CAUSE IT'S THE MOST IMPORTANT THING THAT WE TALK ABOUT EVERY DAY AT DOMINION ENERGY.
SO 8 1 1 IS THE NATIONAL CALL.
BEFORE YOU DIG PHONE NUMBER, IT WILL COME OUT AND HELP YOU IDENTIFY WHERE UNDERGROUND UTILITIES ARE LOCATED, SAVING YOU BOTH TIME AND MONEY.
[00:35:01]
ARE SO HAPPY TO POWER YOUR EVERY DAY.THANK YOU FOR LETTING ME BE WITH YOU ALL TODAY.
I DO WANNA YIELD SOME OF MY TIME TO VERNA ARNETT AND OUR FRIENDS AT BEAUFORT, JASPER WATER SEWER.
UH, I SEE VERNA HAS SURVIVED THE TRAFFIC JAM.
I'D LIKE TO INTRODUCE VERNA ANETTE, WHO'S THE CEO OF B-J-W-S-A.
AND VERNA, IF YOU WOULD ALSO INTRODUCE YOUR, YOUR STAFF.
THEY DON'T KNEEL DOWN FROM ME LIKE THAT.
SO, UM, WHILE WE'RE WAITING FOR OUR PRESENTATION, APOLOGIES FOR BEING LATE.
UM, WE SPENT A LITTLE MORE TIME ON ONE 70 THAN WE THOUGHT WE WERE GOING TO THIS MORNING.
HE'S, UH, UM, CHIEF OF ENGINEERING FOR BEAUFORT, JASPER WATER AND SEWER.
AND JEFF LARUE, WHO IS OUR CHIEF OF COMMUNICATIONS.
UM, SO PAUL AND I WILL BE DOING THE PRESENTATION AND I'LL GO THROUGH SOME, UM, UPFRONT JUST BACKGROUND ON B-J-W-S-A AND KIND OF THE SERVICE AREA THAT WE SERVE.
UM, IT IS LARGE CONSIDERING WATER AND SEWER UTILITIES.
SO JUST, UM, AS A OVERVIEW, OUR, OBVIOUSLY WE DO WATER AND, AND WASTEWATER TREATMENT, AND WE ALSO HAVE A LOT OF COLLECTION INFRASTRUCTURE, WASTEWATER, PUMPING STATIONS, GRAVITY, SEWERS, FORCE MAINS, AND WE HAVE WATER DISTRIBUTION PIPES AND, AND ELEVATED AND GROUND STORAGE TANKS AND PUMP STATIONS THROUGHOUT OUR SYSTEM.
UM, I'M ALSO GONNA TALK ABOUT OUR ONGOING CHALLENGES, WHICH HAS KIND OF BEEN A THEME OF, OF THIS, OF THE PRESENTATIONS TODAY AND OUR PLANS TO ADDRESS THOSE CHALLENGES AND SOME THINGS THAT WE ARE ASKING CUSTOMERS AND YOU ALL TO, UM, THAT HELP TO HELP US WITH AS, AS WE MOVE FORWARD TO MEET THESE CHALLENGES AND COLLABORATIVE PLANS.
SO OUR MISSION IS TO PROVIDE QUALITY WATER AND WASTEWATER SERVICES TO OUR CURRENT AND FUTURE CUSTOMERS OF THE LOW COUNTRY.
UM, WE SERVE TWO COUNTIES, BEAUFORT COUNTY AND JASPER COUNTY.
AND THE SERVICE AREA IS 750 SQUARE MILES, WHICH AGAIN, IS A VERY LARGE SERVICE AREA THAT PRESENTS CHALLENGES IN AND OF ITSELF.
UM, THIS IS ALSO A FLAT, UH, TO TOPOGRAPHY.
SO A LOT OF PUMPING IS GOING ON, ESPECIALLY ON THE WASTEWATER SIDE, WHICH ALSO PRESENTS CHALLENGES.
SO, UM, NOT ONLY WITH A LARGE SERVICE AREA, BUT HAVING TO SERVE, UM, A RELATIVELY SMALL CUSTOMER BASE.
RIGHT NOW, CONSIDERING THE SERVICE AREA SIZE THAT WE HAVE ALSO PRESENTS CHALLENGES.
AND WE HAVE ABOUT 48,000 SEWER CUSTOMERS, 67,000 WATER CUSTOMERS, AND WE HAVE SEVEN WHOLESALE CUSTOMERS.
SO OUR WATER SYSTEM, WE BASICALLY HAVE ONE WATER SOURCE, AND THAT'S THE SAVANNAH RIVER, UM, THAT SERVES OUR, WE HAVE TWO WATER TREATMENT PLANTS.
UM, THE CHELSEA WATER TREATMENT PLANT IS OVER BY OUR SNAKE ROAD OFFICE.
THAT'S THE ORIGINAL PLANT THAT WAS BUILT IN THE 1960S THAT HAS A 24 MILLION GALLON PER DAY CAPACITY.
THE CHELSEA, UM, AT, AT, AT CHELSEA.
THAT'S, IT TAKES WATER FROM THE SAVANNAH RIVER THROUGH AN 18 MILE LONG CANAL, WHICH I FIND REALLY INTERESTING.
I THINK I LOOKED BACK WHEN THEY BUILT THAT CANAL.
IT COST ABOUT $600,000 TO BUILD BACK THEN, AND I CANNOT IMAGINE WHAT THAT 18 MILE LONG CANAL WOULD COST TODAY.
BUT IT CERTAINLY, UM, HAS SERVED US WELL IN THIS AREA.
UM, THE PERRYSBURG TAKES WATER.
UM, IT'S ADJACENT TO THE SAVANNAH RIVER, SO IT'S MUCH CLOSER TO THE SOURCE.
UM, AND, AND REALLY KIND OF INTERESTING BOTH TREATMENT PLANTS.
BY THE TIME THE WATER GETS TO CHELSEA, IT'S A DIFFERENT WATER QUALITY THAN WHEN IT STARTED AT THE SAVANNAH RIVER.
SO THERE, THERE ARE SOME DISTINCT DIFFERENCES, UM, BETWEEN THE TWO WATER QUALITIES THAT WE SEE.
UM, WE HAVE ABOUT 1500 MILES OF WATER MAIN, UM, 10 BOOSTER PUMP STATIONS, 8,000 FIRE HYDRANTS, 26,000 VALVES.
SO THERE'S A LOT OF INFRASTRUCTURE OUT WITHIN THAT 750 SQUARE MILES THAT WE MAINTAIN.
UM, THIS IS A, YOU KNOW, WE TAKE WATER DOWN, YOU CAN SEE WHERE, UM, JASPER AND BEAUFORT COUNTIES ARE.
BUT WE REALLY ARE INTERESTED IN WHAT'S GOING ON UPSTREAM OF US AS WELL, BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY THAT HAS A LOT OF IMPACT ON THE QUALITY OF WATER THAT WE GET BY THE TIME IT GETS TO US.
SO THIS IS SIMPLY SHOWING THAT THE WATERSHED FOR THE SAVANNAH RIVER, UM, GOES UP
[00:40:01]
NORTH OF GREENVILLE.SO IT, IT, IT IN AND OF ITSELF IS A BIG AREA.
AND, UM, B-J-W-S-A IS VERY INTERESTED IN, IN ENSURING THAT, THAT, UH, THAT WATERSHED DOES HAVE SOME PROTECTIONS ON IT.
SO, GOING OVER TO THE OTHER SIDE OF THE WATER CYCLE THAT WE DEAL WITH IS THE WASTEWATER SIDE.
UM, WE HAVE ABOUT, UH, WE HAVE EIGHT WATER OR WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANTS, AND THE CAPACITY OF THOSE IS JUST OVER 20 MGD.
AND YOU'LL NOTICE THAT OUR WATER PLANT CAPACITY IS 39.
OUR WASTEWATER CAPACITY IS ABOUT 20.
SO THE DIFFERENCE IS IRRIGATION, BASICALLY.
A LOT OF WATER IS USED THAT DOESN'T GO DOWN, UM, THE DRAIN, BUT IT'S USED, UM, TO KEEP, YOU KNOW, THE AREA.
UM, A LOT OF WATERING GOES ON.
UM, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WHEN WE DESIGN WATER PLANTS, JUST AS AN EXAMPLE, WE HAVE TO DESIGN IT FOR THE MAX DAY OF THE YEAR.
SO A LOT OF OUR WATER PLANT CAPACITY IS DESIGNED FOR PEAK TIMES, WHICH REALLY ONLY GET USED PART OF THE YEAR, BUT WE STILL HAVE TO, UM, BUILD AND MAINTAIN THAT CAPACITY SO THAT THAT IRRIGATION CAPACITY DOES COME, COME AT A PREMIUM.
UM, AGAIN, THE, THE COLLECTION SYSTEM, WE HAVE 48,000 CUSTOMERS, ABOUT A THOUSAND MILES OF, OF SEWER AND FORCE MAIN AND 600 LIFT STATIONS, WHICH GETTING BACK TO THE TOPOGRAPHY IN THIS AREA, THAT'S A LOT OF LIFT STATIONS.
EVERY ONE OF THOSE HAS TO HAVE A POWER SOURCE.
SO THERE'S A LOT OF POWER THAT'S USED THROUGHOUT OUR SYSTEM TO COLLECT THE WASTEWATER AND GET IT TO THE WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANTS.
UM, THE TREATMENT THAT WE USE IS, I LIKE TO SAY IT'S A KIND OF A, UH, WE'RE SPEEDING UP NATURE IN A WAY THAT USED TO BE THE SOLUTION TO POLLUTION IS DILUTION.
WELL, WE'RE, WE'RE KIND OF SPEEDING THAT UP WITH WASTEWATER TREATMENT.
WE USE MICROBES, BUGS TO HELP TREAT THE WASTEWATER.
UM, SO WE USE A BIOLOGICAL TREATMENT PROCESS.
WE USE ULTRAVIOLET LIGHT, WHICH IS CONTAINED IN SUNLIGHT TO HELP DISINFECT THE WATER.
UM, AND WE ALSO USE SOME CHEMICAL DISINFECTION AS WELL.
WE, UH, HAVE A, A, A SUSTAINABILITY PROGRAM, AND WE DO HAVE SOLAR ARRAYS AT SOME OF OUR WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANTS.
SO THEY'RE A PERFECT SITE TO INSTALL SOLAR PANELS, AND WE GENERATE ABOUT 1200 MEGAWATTS OF ENERGY WITH WHAT WE HAVE NOW.
SO WHERE DOES OUR DISCHARGE GO? UM, WE, ONE INTERESTING THING ABOUT B-J-W-S-A HAS MANY YEARS AGO, UM, THIS IS FOR THE CHERRY POINT PLANT.
THE, UM, THERE WAS A SWAMP THAT WAS CREATED OUT OF LAND THAT WAS PREVIOUSLY USED FOR, UM, I THINK IT WAS PAPER PRODUCTION.
THAT WAS A COOPERATIVE EFFORT WITH BUFORT COUNTY AND CREATED A SWAMP, AND IT'S KNOWN AS THE GREAT SWAMP.
AND THAT HAS BECOME THE PLACE WHERE WE DISCHARGE EFFLUENT.
ONE OF THE PLACES THAT WE DISCHARGE EFFLUENT FROM THE WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT AT CHERRY POINT.
UM, IT'S ABOUT 980 ACRES OF FORESTED WETLANDS, AND IT'S PRETTY INTERESTING.
UH, I KNOW WE DO SOME TOURS OUT THAT WAY, AND IF YOU EVER WANNA TOUR, IT'S KIND OF A NEAT PLACE TO GO.
AND, UM, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S ACTUALLY A VERY SERENE, UH, RELAXING PLACE.
BUT, UM, THERE'S A LOT GOING ON IN THERE WITH THE NATURAL ENVIRONMENT.
THE WATER FROM CHERRY POINT IS, IS TREATED TO A VERY HIGH LEVEL.
IT'S TREATED TO A LEVEL HIGHER THAN WHAT WE ACTUALLY NEED TO DISCHARGE TO THE SWAMP, BECAUSE WE'RE ALSO USING IT FOR GOLF COURSE IRRIGATION.
UM, AND WE HAVE, UM, ONE OF OUR SUBDIVISIONS NEIGHBORHOODS ALSO USES, UM, THEY HAVE A SEPARATE PIPING SYSTEM THAT TAKES OUR EFFLUENT TO USE IRRIGATION FOR IRRIGATION THERE.
UM, OTHER PLANTS WE HAVE DISCHARGED DIRECTLY TO THE RIVER SAVANNAH, THE BROAD AND BEAUFORT RIVERS.
SO FISCAL SUSTAINABILITY, THAT'S ONE OF OUR STRATEGIC GOALS.
AND I THINK AS WE'VE MOVED INTO THIS POST PANDEMIC ERA WITH PRICE INCREASES, SUPPLY CHAIN ISSUES, WE'RE REALLY SEEING SOME, SOME ECONOMIC PRESSURES.
UM, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY WE WANNA MEET EXISTING AND FUTURE, UM, REQUIREMENTS THAT WE'RE UNDER, UNDER FROM A HEALTH AND SAFETY STANDPOINT AND FROM A REGULATORY STANDPOINT.
AND SO WE HAVE TO BALANCE THE RATES WITH THOSE NEEDS.
UM, AND PAUL'S GONNA BE TALKING ABOUT SOME OF THE INVESTMENTS THAT WE'RE MAKING AND THE THINGS THAT WE'RE DOING TO MEET EXISTING AND FUTURE CUSTOMER DEMANDS.
UM, AND WE'RE ALSO FINDING AS, AS I'M SURE EVERYONE ELSE IS JUST THE CHALLENGES OF MEETING THE HIGHER PRICES THAT WE'RE SEEING, UM, PARTICULARLY WITH, WITH STAFFING HEALTHCARE COSTS, OUR CHEMICALS AND ENERGY HAVE GONE UP.
[00:45:01]
AND AS I SAID BEFORE, WE'VE HAD SUPPLY CHAIN ISSUES AND THERE'S, UM, YOU KNOW, I'VE BEEN WATCHING, WE ALL WATCH OR HEAR ABOUT THE CONSUMER PRICE INDEX AND WHAT IT IS.THERE'S ALSO A SEPARATE INDEX THAT, UM, IS TRACKED FOR WATER AND WASTEWATER UTILITIES.
TRADITIONALLY, THAT'S BEEN ALMOST DOUBLE WHAT THE CONSUMER, THE STANDARD CONSUMER PRICE INDEX HAS BEEN EVEN PRE PANDEMIC.
SO IT'S SOMETHING THAT WATER UTILITIES HAVE SEEN NATIONWIDE THAT, UM, ESPECIALLY AS OUR INFRASTRUCTURE AGES AND THE COST OF REBUILDING AND REPLACING THAT HAS GONE UP.
IT'S OUTPACED WHAT, UM, WHAT JUST, YOU KNOW, THE, THE GENERAL CONSUMER PRICE INDEX IS.
SO A LITTLE BIT ABOUT OUR STRATEGIC PLAN.
THESE ARE JUST, UM, FIVE OF THE AREAS THAT, THAT WE'RE FOCUSED ON.
UM, WORKFORCE IS A BIG ISSUE FOR ALL OF US.
UM, INFRASTRUCTURE VIABILITY, FINANCIAL SUSTAINABILITY, ENGAGING CUSTOMERS AND STAKEHOLDERS, AND MANAGING RISK AND LEVERAGING INNOVATION.
AND WITH THAT, I WILL TURN IT OVER TO PAUL, WHO WILL TALK ABOUT, UM, OUR KEY PROJECTS AND SOME OF THE, UH, WAYS WE'RE MEETING OUR CHALLENGES.
AS, UH, SHE MENTIONED, MY NAME IS PAUL VINCENT.
I'M CHIEF OF ENGINEERING THERE AT BEFORD, JASPER WATER SEWER AUTHORITY.
I'M A LICENSED CIVIL ENGINEER IN SOUTH CAROLINA AND HAVE, UH, SPENT MY ENTIRE CAREER WORKING IN THE WATER AND WASTEWATER INDUSTRY.
UH, YOU GUYS KNOW THE CHALLENGES IN THE AREA AS FAR AS GROWTH AND THAT SORT OF THING.
I'M, I GET THE FUN PART OF THE PRESENTATION.
I GOTTA TALK ABOUT HOW WE'RE APPROACHING THOSE CHALLENGES AND HOW WE'RE TRYING TO SOLVE ALL THOSE PROBLEMS. UP HERE ON THE SCREEN, WE'VE GOT FOUR OF OUR FAVORITE PROJECTS HIGHLIGHTED.
I'LL TELL YOU, WE'VE GOT 250 TO 300 PROJECTS IN OUR CAPITAL PROGRAM.
SO IF YOU DON'T SEE YOUR FAVORITE PROJECT UP HERE, DOESN'T MEAN IT DOESN'T MATTER TO ME.
BUT THESE ARE FOUR OF OUR FAVORITE PROJECTS.
SO WHAT DO WE GOT GOING ON? UH, VERNA TALKED A LOT ABOUT TREATMENT PLANTS AND TREATMENT PLANT CAPACITY.
THAT'S SOMETHING THAT'S KIND OF DIFFICULT IN OUR AREA.
AND THE REASON I SAY IT'S DIFFICULT IS THAT'S A SITE SPECIFIC LOCATION WHERE WE CAN PROCESS A CERTAIN QUANTITY OF FLOW, AND WE HAVE TO TRY TO FIGURE OUT WHERE ALL THOSE THINGS GO.
AND I'M SUPER EXCITED TO SAY THAT TODAY WE'VE GOT A COUPLE OF PLANNERS THAT ARE ACTUALLY SITTING OUT HERE IN THE AUDIENCE, SO MAYBE ACKNOWLEDGE 'EM AT THE END.
BUT, UH, THEY HELP US DO SOME OF THAT PLANNING TO HELP US UNDERSTAND WHERE WE NEED TO PUT SOME OF THOSE PROJECTS.
THE FIRST ONE WE'VE GOT LISTED UP HERE IS OUR CHERRY POINT TREATMENT PLANT.
VERNA TALKED ABOUT THAT BECAUSE THAT'S WHERE WE'RE USING THAT GREAT SWAMP TO HELP CLEAN SOME OF OUR EFFLUENT, AND IT PROVIDES THAT KIND OF SUSTAINABLE NATURAL ENVIRONMENT THAT WE'RE REALLY TRYING TO EMBRACE AT BEAUFORT.
UH, NUMBER TWO IS OUR WATER TREATMENT PLANT EXPANSION.
UH, WE'VE GOT, UH, 24 MILLION GALLONS AT OUR CHELSEA PLANT.
WE'VE GOT 15 OUTTA BURG PLANT.
WE'RE GONNA DOUBLE THAT TO 30 HERE OVER THE NEXT YEAR.
IT'S UNDER CONSTRUCTION NOW, AND ULTIMATELY WE'LL HAVE ANOTHER, ANOTHER EXPANSION OUT THERE AND GET TO 45 MILLION GALLONS.
WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO IS WE'RE TRYING TO STAY AS FAR AHEAD AS WE CAN ON THE CAPACITY PIECE OF IT.
ALL THE WHILE WE HAVE DEVELOPMENT PRESSURES COMING AT US IN A BUNCH OF DIFFERENT SPOTS, SO IT'S AN ONGOING CHALLENGE.
THEN NUMBER NUMBER THREE ON HERE I KNOW IS NEAR AND DEAR TO MANY OF YOUR HEARTS THAT ARE IN THE ROOM.
THAT'S AN EFFORT THAT WE HAVE UNDERWAY TO TRY TO HELP EN ENRICH THE ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS AROUND SEPTIC TANK ELIMINATION.
I THINK MOST OF US IN THE ROOM ARE FAMILIAR WITH SEPTIC TANKS AND HOW THEY FUNCTION.
UH, BY AND LARGE, I TELL PEOPLE THEY'RE A TEMPORARY SOLUTION.
ULTIMATELY RESULTS IN SOME AMOUNT OF BACTERIA GETTING INTO OUR WATERWAYS.
IF WE EVER MEASURED THAT STUFF, I'VE GOT THREE KIDS, I PROBABLY WOULD'VE WANT MY KIDS PLAYING IN CERTAIN WATERWAYS THAT HAVE THAT TYPE OF BACTERIA IN IT.
WE'RE PASSIONATE ABOUT TRYING TO CLEAN UP THE ENVIRONMENT.
AND WE HAVE A ACTIVE PROJECT WITH, UH, RELATED TO CLEANING UP THE MAY RIVER, UH, DRAINAGE AREA.
AND THEN THE FOURTH ONE, WE'VE GOT A, WE'VE GOT ANOTHER ELEVATED STORAGE TANK.
VERNA LOVES TO TELL ME ABOUT THESE STORAGE TANKS AND HOW BEAUTIFUL THEY ARE.
I TELL YOU, THAT'S, THAT'S HOW ENGINEERS WORK.
WE LOOK AT STORAGE TANKS TO THINK THEY'RE BEAUTIFUL.
THE AVERAGE PERSON MIGHT LOOK AT A, A PARK OR WHAT WE HAVE OUT HERE, I DON'T KNOW, A SWING SET, SOMETHING LIKE THAT, AND THINK IT'S BEAUTIFUL.
BUT AS ENGINEERS, WE GET EXCITED ABOUT WATER TANKS.
IT'S A COMPOSITE TANK, SO IT'S GOT CONCRETE ON THE BOTTOM IN MIDDLE.
ANYWAYS, YOU PRINTED IT OFF ON THAT, RIGHT? UH, WHAT'S GOING ON IN OUR SYSTEM? NOW, MOST OF THIS, I'M PREACHING TO THE CHOIR HERE.
EVERYBODY KIND OF KNOWS WE'VE GOT A LOT OF DEVELOPMENT COMING TO THE, OUR TWO COUNTY AREA.
WE SEE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD OF 3000 NEW SERVICE CONNECTIONS EVERY SINGLE YEAR.
UH, WHAT'S THAT MEAN FOR ME, FROM A TREATMENT PLAN CAPACITY THAT'S NEARLY A MILLION GALLONS.
WE NEED TO PROCESS EVERY SINGLE YEAR AND ADDITIONAL MILLION DOLLARS AND ADDITIONAL AND ADDITIONAL.
SO I STARTED THINKING THINGS LIKE, GOSH, WE GOT COST INCREASES.
UH, WE GOT REGULATORY CHALLENGES.
WE'RE TRYING TO ESTABLISH A GREAT WORKING RELATIONSHIP WITH DHC AND HAVE SOME, HAVE SOME FANTASTIC RECENT SUCCESSES.
I'M NOT GONNA GET INTO ALL THAT TODAY.
BUT, UH, ON THE CONSTRUCTION SIDE OF THINGS, I GET CONCERNED.
YOU GUYS ARE PROBABLY CONCERNED TOO.
AND, AND WHAT DO I LOOK AT? I, I SEE POST PANDEMIC STRESSES ON WORKFORCE.
I SEE POST PANDEMIC STRESSES ON SUPPLY CHAIN.
I'VE GOT A CAPITAL PROGRAM THAT'S BEEN RELATIVELY SMALL FOR THE LAST FIVE YEARS THAT WE'RE TRYING TO RAMP UP.
[00:50:01]
AMPLIFY.I'M CONCERNED ABOUT THE NUMBER OF ENGINEERS.
I'M CONCERNED ABOUT THE NUMBER OF CONTRACTORS.
I'M CONCERNED ABOUT BEING ABLE TO GET THE PRODUCTS TO HERE TO US IN TIME TO GET 'EM BUILT.
WHAT ARE WE, WHAT ELSE ARE WE SEEING? I LOOKS LIKE FANTASTIC GROWTH IN OUR AREA.
SO I GOT ALL THESE CHALLENGES.
I'M WORRIED ABOUT SUPPLY CHAIN WORKFORCE, DELIVERING PROJECTS, BUILDING THINGS.
WHEN I BUILD PROJECTS, I CAN'T BUILD 'EM AS FAST AS I CAN PUT UP A HOUSE.
IT TAKES ME A COUPLE YEARS IF IT'S A TREATMENT PLANT, MAYBE AS MUCH AS THREE.
BUT HERE'S WHAT WE'RE SEEING IN OUR AREA NATIONALLY, 7% GROWTH SOUNDS GREAT.
I CAME OUTTA THE MIDWEST, UH, STARTED WORKING AT BEAUFORT, JASPER SEVEN, EIGHT MONTHS AGO, UH, IN THE MIDWEST.
MOVED DOWN HERE TO SOUTH CAROLINA, SAW THAT 14 MOVE DOWN HERE TO BEAUFORT COUNTY AND STARTED SEEING THESE SORT OF GROWTH RATES.
AND I KNOW THIS ISN'T NEWS TO YOU GUYS, YOU'VE SEEN THIS FOR A WHILE, BUT IT MEANS WE HAVE TO BE VERY PROACTIVE.
PART OF BEING PROACTIVE IS, IS RELYING ON OUR PLANNERS.
YOU WANNA RAISE YOUR HAND REAL QUICK? ASHLEY GOODRICH.
SO THEY'RE HELPING US WITH OUR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS TEAM.
UH, KIND OF DEFINE WHAT WE NEED TO DO OVER THE NEXT THREE YEARS TO TRY TO KEEP UP WITH ALL THESE DIFFERENT THINGS THAT ARE COMING AT US AS CHALLENGES.
AND WE'VE IDENTIFIED SOME, SOME HIGH LEVEL PIECES.
IF I BREAK THINGS DOWN INTO WASTEWATER TREATMENT, PLANT, UH, TYPE WORK, UH, $250 MILLION FOR ME, THAT'S EARTH SHATTERING.
UH, I, FOR THE MAJORITY OF MY CAREER, I PERFORMED AS A CONSULTING ENGINEER.
I'D GO EVERYWHERE WHERE AND SAY, ALL RIGHT, IF YOU NEED TO BUILD A MILLION GALLON A DAY TREATMENT PLANT, WHICH YOU JUST HEARD ME SAY I NEED EVERY SINGLE YEAR, UH, IT USED TO COST US ABOUT $12 A GALLON.
SO ABOUT $12 MILLION IS A PRETTY GOOD RULE OF THUMB.
THIS IS WHAT WE'RE GONNA DEAL WITH.
THIS IS WHAT WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO SEE.
AND NOT JUST A LITTLE BIT TODAY IT'S $30 A GALLON TO BUILD THAT SAME MILLION, THAT SAME TREATMENT PLAN.
SO THAT'S TWO AND A HALF FOLD.
VERNA ALLUDED TO THAT, HOW COST OF GOODS AND SERVICES HAVE CHANGED DIFFERENTLY IN OUR INDUSTRY.
IT MEANS WE'VE GOTTA GET CREATIVE.
SO WE'RE TRYING TO FIND VALUE.
WE'RE TRYING TO GET INNOVATIVE.
WE'RE TRYING TO FIND NEW SOLUTIONS.
WE MIGHT BE DIVERTING THINGS HERE AND THERE TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF EXISTING CAPACITIES THAT WE'VE GOT.
NUMBER THREE IS PROBABLY MY FAVORITE.
UM, WHEN I JOINED OUR ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT, WE HAD ABOUT 15 PEOPLE IN THAT DEPARTMENT, UH, WORKING VERY HAND IN HAND WITH VERNA, OUR BOARD, WE'VE HAD 20 NEW POSITIONS APPROVED INSIDE OF THIS BUDGET YEAR IN OUR ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT.
SO THAT'S INSTANTLY FROM 15 TO 35.
I THINK WE GOT ANOTHER 10 THAT WE'RE GONNA GET HERE IN JULY.
I TELL PEOPLE WE'RE GOING FROM 15 TO 50.
UH, THAT'S ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO RECRUIT THAT NUMBER OF QUALIFIED PROFESSIONALS.
WE'RE WORKING HARD TO TRY TO GET THERE.
I HOPE THAT AT SOME POINT WE HAVE ALL THE RIGHT PIECES AND ALL THE RIGHT PEOPLE IN THE RIGHT SEATS THAT WE CAN HELP DELIVER EVERYTHING THAT I JUST DESCRIBED.
UH, YOU'VE HEARD MOST OF THIS STUFF FROM ME ALREADY.
SO I WANNA LABOR A LOT OF THOSE POINTS.
THE, THE ONE THAT I'LL, THE ONE THAT I'LL PROBABLY HIT ON THE MOST IS DOWN HERE, THESE LAST TWO.
SO YOU'VE HEARD COSTS ARE ARE UP.
IT TAKES A LOT TO DELIVER THINGS WE NEED.
I NEED 50 STAFF MEMBERS, WHATEVER IT MAY BE.
UH, THERE'S ONLY REALLY TWO WAYS THAT WE PAY FOR PROJECTS HERE AT BEAUFORD, JESS, BUT NOW WE, WE CHASE GRANTS AND WE GOT SOME GOOD NEWS THIS WEEK ABOUT ANOTHER $5 MILLION WORTH OF GRANT.
WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE TO TRY TO MAXIMIZE GRANTS AS BEST AS WE CAN ON PROJECTS.
BUT ULTIMATELY IT COMES DOWN TO TWO THINGS.
I'M A RATE PAYER, SO THAT'S ONE WAY WE CAN COME TO THE RATE PAYERS AND TELL 'EM, HEY, YOU NEED ANOTHER 10% PRICE INCREASE, OR WHATEVER IT MAY BE EVERY MONTH ON YOUR BILL JUST TO TRY TO KEEP UP WITH COST OF GOODS AND SERVICES.
THE OTHER WAY IS THIS FIRST ONE, OUR FOURTH BULLET POINT, BROTHER ON THIS SLIDE.
YOU HEARD ME SAY A MINUTE AGO, IT COST ME $30 A GALLON TO BUILD A TREATMENT PLANT.
WELL, THAT'S NOT JUST THE WHOLE STORY.
I GOT 600 PUMP STATIONS IN OUR SYSTEMS. I GOTTA PAY FOR THOSE PUMP STATIONS AND THOSE FORCE MAINS AND LINES TO GET IT TO THOSE MAGICAL SPOTS WHERE WE HAVE THOSE TREATMENT PLANTS.
WE DON'T KNOW EXACTLY WHAT OUR CAPACITY FEES ARE GONNA GO TO, BUT WE'RE IN A ROBUST PROCESS WITH A CONSULTANT RIGHT NOW THAT I HOPE WRAPS UP MAYBE IN THE NEXT MONTH OR SIX WEEKS.
AND WE ANTICIPATE SOME INCREASES IN, IN BOTH OF THESE AREAS.
BUT THE, THE FIRST ONE IS THAT CAPACITY FEE AREA, AND THAT'S THE NUMBER THAT THE DEVELOPER PAYS WHEN HE COMES TO US TO SAY, HEY, I WANNA BE ABLE TO CONNECT TO YOUR SYSTEM.
WHAT'S IT GONNA COST ME? I'VE GOT 10 HOUSES OR 3000 HOUSES.
WHAT'S THAT NUMBER GONNA BE? AND, AND WE HELP HIM GET TO THE SPOT.
HOW CAN YOU GUYS HELP? UH, MAN, SO MANY DIFFERENT WAYS.
ONE IS, IS JUST TO BE AVAILABLE AND BE COLLABORATIVE.
UM, BIG, BIG THING I'M PASSIONATE ABOUT IS JUST TRYING TO BE TRANSPARENT AND UNDERSTAND THAT WE CAN WORK TOGETHER.
WHAT ARE YOUR PRIORITIES? WHAT ARE YOUR GOALS? HELP SHARE THOSE WITH US.
AND THEN THAT GIVES ME A LITTLE BETTER STRATEGY AS TO MAYBE WHERE I'M GONNA PUT SOME OF WHAT I'LL CALL THESE TREATMENT PLANTS, THESE MAGICAL SPOTS, AND WHERE I CAN BUILD CAPACITY INTO, INTO OUR SYSTEM.
'CAUSE IT'S GONNA TAKE ME TWO OR THREE YEARS TO GET THERE.
SO IF YOU, I DON'T HAVE A BETTER CRYSTAL BALL THAN ANYBODY ELSE, BUT IF YOU CAN GIVE ME YOUR, YOUR BEST THOUGHTS ON WHERE YOU WANT TO GO AND HOW YOU WANNA SEE YOUR COMMUNITY
[00:55:01]
SHAPING IN THE FUTURE, THEN WE CAN TRY TO PLAN THE INFRASTRUCTURE PIECE AROUND THAT.SO THEN WE'RE NOT A BURDEN TO YOUR GUYS' VISION AND, AND DREAM.
NOW, YOU'LL HEAR FROM US BECAUSE THIS IS JUST PART OF BEING A RESPONSIBLE UTILITY.
UH, WE'RE GONNA TALK THROUGHOUT EACH, EACH YEAR.
I DON'T CARE WHICH YEAR IT IS ABOUT IRRIGATION PROGRAMS AND HOW TO BE CONSERVATIVE AND HOW TO DO IT THE BEST WAY TO MANAGE OUR PEAKS.
AND WHAT THAT HELPS US WITH IS THAT HELPS US KEEP THOSE TREATMENT PLANT CAPACITIES AT A REASONABLE LEVEL.
FROM AN OPERATIONAL STANDPOINT, WE RUN THE PLANTS 24 7, SO THEY'RE PRODUCING WATER, AND WE HAVE 30 PLUS TANKS IN OUR SYSTEM.
WHAT WE'RE DOING IS WE'RE FILLING THOSE TANKS UP IN THE NIGHT, AND THEN PEOPLE ARE DRAINING 'EM DOWN DURING THE DAY.
SO WE'RE JUST TRYING TO GET SOME BETTER BALANCE.
NOW, IF PEOPLE WANNA WATER THEIR GLA GRASS 24 7 AND DO THAT, WE WILL UNDERSTAND THAT THEY'LL PAY THEIR BILL FOR IT AND WE'LL BUILD MORE TANKS.
BUT THIS ALLOWS US TO GET DOWN THE ROAD WITHOUT BUILDING MORE TANKS AND KEEPING OUR BILLS IN A LITTLE BIT MORE RESPONSIBLE SPOT.
UH, THIS IS MY LAST SLIDE REALLY AS I KIND OF WRAP UP, BUT I JUST, I WANNA SAY FIRST, YOU KNOW, THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO COME.
UH, WE'RE CERTAINLY WILLING TO CONTINUE TO BE COLLABORATIVE AND MEET WITH ANYBODY.
TALK TO YOU ABOUT YOUR, YOUR PROJECTS AND YOUR VISIONS.
UH, I'M NOT SURE IF THERE'S OTHERS OR WE'LL BE AROUND FOR QUESTIONS.
UH, I JUST WILL NOTE, I THINK YOU BOTH SAID, UM, PAUL'S BEEN HERE SEVEN MONTHS AND VERNA, WHAT, 12 MONTHS? 10.
SO, UM, IT, IT SEEMS THAT YOU'VE REALLY JUMPED IN TO THE POOL RIGHT AWAY, AND WE APPRECIATE, UH, THE EFFORTS THAT YOU'RE DOING.
UM, AT THIS TIME, UH, WE'LL OPEN UP TO QUESTIONING IF ANYBODY HAS A QUESTION.
THERE'S A MICROPHONE UP THERE AND ASHLEY AND, UH, UH, BLAKELY, YOU CAN ANSWER AT THAT MICROPHONE AS WELL IF THE QUESTIONS ARE DIRECTED TO YOU.
UM, SO ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THE, ANY OF THE THREE PRESENTATIONS THAT WE HAD? DAN, PLEASE GO TO THE MICROPHONE.
I WAS WONDERING WHY A LITTLE SLOW HERE THIS MORNING.
YEAH, I JUST WANTED TO, TO ASK THE ELECTRIC UTILITIES.
UM, I'VE BEEN OUT OF THE BUSINESS FOR NINE YEARS, BUT, UM, FASCINATING LISTENING TO ALL THREE OF YOU THIS MORNING.
I UNDERSTAND THE CHALLENGES THE TRANSMISSION GRID HAS HISTORICALLY BEEN CUT UP IN THE REGIONS ACROSS THE COUNTRY, AND TRANSMISSION GRIDS HISTORICALLY, JUST LIKE DISTRIBUTION COMPANIES ALWAYS HAD EXCESS BUILT INTO THEIR TRANSMISSION GRIDS AND THE GENERATION TRANSMISSION GRIDS HELP EACH OTHER, OR USED TO BY WHEELING POWER FROM ONE STATE TO ANOTHER STATE FOR VARIOUS REASONS.
WHEN THERE WAS A, A DEPLETION OF RESOURCES IN ONE STATE, MAYBE IT HAD TO DO WITH, YOU KNOW, PEAK DEMAND BEING STRESSED.
OR EVEN DURING HURRICANE HUGO, THE THAILAND THAT CAME FROM GEORGIA HELPED SOUTH CAROLINA.
MY QUESTION IS, AND ASHLEY, YOU TOUCHED ON THIS AND I HADN'T THOUGHT ABOUT IT.
TEXAS WAS A, A REAL EXAMPLE OF WHAT CAN GO WRONG WITH POWER AND TRANSMISSION SURPLUS, OR NOT HAVING SURPLUS, UH, ACCESS TO IT.
THEN YOU TOUCHED ON THE FACT THAT THESE, THESE NEW LOADS THAT COME IN THE INDUSTRIAL LOADS ARE HITTING LEVELS THAT ARE UNUSUAL THAT MOST OF US HAVE DEALT WITH IN THE STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA OR POTENTIALLY IN SOME AREAS OF THE SOUTHEAST.
SO MY QUESTION IS, I DON'T KNOW HOW THAT IMPACTS THE OVERALL TRANSMISSION GRID.
IS THE CAPABILITY STILL THERE FOR ONE STATE TO HELP ANOTHER STATE IN A TIME OF NEED? THAT'S MY QUESTION.
YEAH, BLAKELY, WHY DON'T YOU COME UP TO THE I'LL RESORT TABLE WITH THE ENGINEER NEXT TO ME.
SO, BUT I MEAN, HERE'S THE THING.
I MEAN, I KNOW I TOUCHED ON IT WITH THE TEXAS STUFF, AND, UM, YOU, WE DO, WE DO BRING IN A, THROUGH OUR, THE, UM, SOUTHEASTERN, UM, POWER ADMINISTRATION, UM, WE DO BRING IN FROM OTHER STATES.
HOWEVER, IT'S A VERY SMALL AMOUNT COMPARED TO WHAT WE WANT TO RELY UPON ON WHERE WE ARE COMING FROM A DIRECT SOURCE.
SO FOR US, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE LOOK AT SANTI COOPER, WE'RE ASKING, WHAT DO YOU HAVE THAT YOU CAN CONTROL, RIGHT? BECAUSE IN TEXAS THEY COULDN'T CONTROL WHAT THEY HAD.
THEY COULDN'T THEN THOSE, THE, THE PEOPLE THAT WERE USING THAT POWER THAT THEY NEEDED
[01:00:01]
TO WERE GETTING THE PRIORITY FIRST OVER THE, WHAT THEY WERE BRINGING IN.SO FOR US, WE'RE LOOKING AT THE PRIORITIES, DOESN'T MEAN THAT WE DON'T WANT TO LOOK AT OTHER SOURCES FOR IN TRANSMISSION FROM OUTSIDE OF THE STATE.
UM, AND WE, AND IT'S AGAIN, IT'S PART OF THAT DIVERSITY AND MAKING SURE WE HAVE A, A, A GENERATION DIVERSITY THAT IS GOOD FOR OUR MEMBERS, FOR OUR STATE, FOR OUR POWER, UM, THAT WE HAVE THESE INDUSTRIES THAT ARE COMING IN 90 MEGAWATTS, FIVE MEGAWATTS.
AND, AND YOU KNOW, AND LOOK, YOU KNOW, SOMEBODY HAD MENTIONED THAT, WELL, WHY ARE WE ASKING WHY ARE WE, WHY ARE WE EVEN ENTERTAINING THAT IF WE CAN'T HANDLE IT? WELL, HERE'S, HERE'S THE DEAL.
THESE INDUSTRIES A, PROVIDE A HUGE SOURCE OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT FOR OUR, OUR AREAS, FOR OUR CUSTOMERS, FOR OUR EMP, YOU KNOW, OUR DIFFERENT BUSINESSES, UM, THEY ARE, ARE GIVING BACK TO OUR STATE IN WAYS THAT YOU COULD NOT IMAGINE.
THE OTHER SIDE OF IT TOO IS IT IT ASSISTS US IN HELPING MAKE SURE THAT OUR RATES STAY AT, AT, AT, AT REASONABLE NUMBERS.
UM, THEY ARE TAKING ON A, A GOOD DEAL OF, OF, OF, OF, OF THOSE RATE INCREASES BECAUSE THEY'RE TRYING TO HELP US MANAGE THAT POWER AND, AND, AND, AND SPREAD IT OVER.
UM, ONCE AGAIN, MY NAME'S EVAN WHEELER.
I'M DISTRICT MANAGER FOR BEAUFORT, JASPER HAMPTON, COLTON, AND ALLENDALE COUNTIES.
MY LOCAL OFFICE IS RIGHT IN BEAUFORT.
SO HAPPY TO BE WITH Y'ALL TODAY.
IN TERMS OF, UH, DAN'S QUESTION REGARDING TRANSMISSION INTERCONNECTION, ALL OF OUR DOMINION TRANSMISSION FACILITIES ARE INTERCONNECTED.
SO TODAY YOU MIGHT BE GETTING POWER FROM THE, UH, 1,068 MEGAWATTS THAT'S PRODUCED DOWN AT PLANT JASPER.
UH, IF JASPER'S OFFLINE DUE TO MAINTENANCE, YOU MIGHT BE GETTING POWER FROM OUR 613 MEGAWATT UNIT UP AT A IN WILLIAMS STATION.
OR WE COULD BE BUYING OFF SYSTEM CAPACITY FROM DUKE POWER UP AT OCONEE NUCLEAR UP AROUND ANDERSON COUNTY IN OCONEE COUNTY.
SO ALL OF THE FACILITIES ARE ACTUALLY INTERCONNECTED.
ALL OF THE, UM, ELECTRICITY MORE OR LESS FLOWS IN, IN THE DIRECTION DEPENDING ON WHERE THE GENERATION COMES FROM.
SO EACH OF THOSE INTERCONNECTION LOCATIONS HAVE A METER POINT, AND THAT METER POINT SAYS, IS POWER COMING ONTO THE SYSTEM OR IS POWER GOING OFF? UM, UNLIKE TEXAS, TEXAS HAD AN ISSUE CALLED ISLANDING, WHERE MORE OR LESS THEIR ELECTRIC GENERATION AND THEIR ELECTRIC CUSTOMERS AND THEIR ELECTRIC TRANSMISSION WERE ON AN ISLAND.
SO IF THEY NEEDED OFF SYSTEM CAPACITY BECAUSE THEY LOST A, A COAL FIRE, UM, LET'S SAY PULVERIZER AND THEY COULDN'T FEED THEIR BOILER AND THEY COULDN'T, THEY WANTED TO SAY, HEY, LET ME GO TO THE NEXT STATE OVER AND ACTUALLY BUY OFF SYSTEM CAPACITY.
THEY DON'T HAVE THAT CAPABILITY BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT INTERCONNECTED.
THEIR TRANSMISSION LINES ARE NOT TIED TOGETHER.
BUT WE HERE IN SOUTH CAROLINA TODAY, YOU MIGHT BE GETTING POWER FROM SOUTH CAROLINA DOMINION TOMORROW.
YOU MIGHT BE GETTING POWER FROM DUKE POWER UP IN UPSTATE, OR IT COULD BE GEORGIA POWER.
AND THE TIME OF NEED DURING, UH, INTENSE HEAT OR INTENSE COLD, IT'S UNFORESEEN AS TO WHERE THE POWER MIGHT BE COMING FROM.
SO IT IS NICE TO HAVE THE INTERCONNECTION ABILITY THAT WE HAVE HERE, THOUGH.
DAN, DOES THAT ANSWER YOUR QUESTION? OKAY.
ANYONE FROM THE BOARD? ANYONE FROM THE PUBLIC? YES, SIR.
COULD YOU, UH, DAVID, COME ON.
UH, JUST WANTED FROM ALL THE THREE, ALL THE UTILITIES, BOTH, UH, DOMINION, PALMETTO AND BUFORD, JASPER WATER SEWER, UH, WITH THE BIG DEVELOPMENT THAT'S GOING ON IN GEORGIA RIGHT NOW OF THAT NEW AUTO PLANT AND WHAT THAT'S HAVING AN IMPACT ECONOMICALLY OVER THERE AS WELL AS THEIR UTILITIES, I'M SURE IS HAVING A BIG IMPACT.
I IMAGINE THERE'LL BE SOME, UH, GROWTH THAT WILL OCCUR OVER HERE BECAUSE OF THAT.
DID WHAT'S YOUR, WAS IT ANTICIPATED? HOW ARE YOU DEALING WITH IT? WHAT DO YOU FORESEE THE IMPACT OF THAT, UH, BIG DEVELOPMENT GOING ON, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT GOING ON IN GEORGIA, GOING TO IMPACT YOUR UTILITIES DOWN HERE? I CAN SPEAK FIRST ON WITH REGARDS TO YES, WHEN YOU SEE A MAJOR, JUST LIKE A VOLVO, UH, SCOUT, YOU SEE THE AREAS AROUND THAT, THAT, THAT MAJOR INDUSTRY, UM, POPPING UP AND HAVING, UH, DIFFERENT INTERESTS BY THOSE WHO SUPPLY, UH, SUPPLY THEIR PLANT OR THEIR INDUSTRY.
AND SO, YES, WE'RE DEFINITELY SEEING AN INCREASED, UH, AMOUNT OF TRAFFIC OF LOOKING AT DIFFERENT PROPERTIES, UM, IN ESPECIALLY HARDY V UM, JASPER COUNTY AND AND BEYOND.
UM, I, I CAN TELL YOU FROM OUR PERSPECTIVE, WE, WE KNOW, WE IDENTIFY WHERE, YOU KNOW, THOSE POSSIBILITIES ARE.
AND, AND WE ALSO PROMOTE THEM.
WE TRY TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE TRYING TO DIRECT INDUSTRY TO THOSE AREAS THAT WE KNOW WE CAN, WE CAN, WE CAN PROVIDE THEM WITH THE POWER AND ALSO AND
[01:05:01]
INCREASE OUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT FOR THIS REGION AND FOR THIS AREA.SO, YOU KNOW, WE'VE IDENTIFIED ALL THOSE DIFFERENT AREAS THAT WE SERVE.
I'M SURE, YOU KNOW, DOMINION DOES THE SAME.
UM, I KNOW BEAUFORT, JASPER, YOU KNOW, WATER AND SEW DOES THE SAME, BUT WE KNOW EXACTLY WHERE THOSE GROWTH AREAS ARE FOR INDUSTRY.
UM, AND, AND, AND QUITE FRANKLY, WE WANNA PROMOTE THAT AND, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE IT DOES GREAT THINGS FOR THE ECONOMY ACROSS OUR REGION.
UM, FROM DOMINION STANDPOINT, WE'RE CONTINUOUSLY SHOPPING JUST LIKE, UH, IF, IF WE HAVE PROPERTY THAT WAS AVAILABLE RIGHT THERE NEXT TO THE WALMART AND SAM'S CLUB WHERE WE CAME IN AND WE BUILT THE MAY RIVER SUB SITE THAT ACCOMMODATES ALL MORE OR LESS THE ELECTRIC NEEDS IN DOWNTOWN BLUFF AND PROPER, UM, IF YOU LOOK AT THE MORGAN TRACK, THE CAR TRACK, THE BUILD OUT OF LATITUDES AND THE ADJACENT AREAS, YOU WANNA STRATEGICALLY PLACE YOUR SUBSTATION AND YOUR TRANSMISSION FACILITIES IN THOSE LOCATIONS CLOSE TO THE ACTUAL CUSTOMERS.
AND WE'RE ALWAYS STRATEGICALLY KIND OF SHOPPING THAT TO SEE WHERE DO WE NEED TO PLACE THESE SUBSTATIONS? WHERE DO WE NEED TO PLACE THESE, UH, SWITCHING STATIONS? WHERE DO WE NEED TO INCREASE THE, UM, CAPACITY AND ALSO THE RESILIENCY OF THE TRANSMISSION FACILITIES.
SO TO, UM, WHAT BLAKELY WAS DISCUSSING, REBUILDING 115, 230,000 VOLT LINES.
I'VE BEEN DOWN HERE SINCE 2016, EVEN IN BEAUFORT COUNTY, NORTHERN SIDE.
AND YOU LOOK AT ALL THE WOOD STRUCTURES THAT ACTUALLY FELL DURING HER HURRICANE MATTHEW.
UM, IT TOOK EIGHT DAYS IN TERMS OF FULL RESTORATION.
IF THEY WERE STILL RATED FOR HIGH WIND LOADS AS OPPOSED TO 90 MILE PER HOURS, THE RESTORATION EFFORTS WOULD'VE BEEN A LOT FASTER.
SO WE'RE REBUILDING ALL THAT RIGHT NOW.
AND I'LL ALSO NOTE TOO, I KNOW I TOUCHED ON IT, IS THIS, YOU KNOW, WE'RE LOOKING AT IT ON THE STATE SIDE, YOU KNOW, THERE'S ONLY SO MUCH WE CAN DO IF WE DON'T HAVE THE GENERATION, YOU KNOW, GENERATED POWER TO DO IT.
AND THAT'S WHY WE ARE PROMOTING, YOU KNOW, H 5 1 18, UH, RIGHT NOW, THIS IS WHY WE'VE BEEN TALKING WITH OUR STATE LEGISLATORS FOR THE LAST, YOU KNOW, NUMBER OF YEARS TO FIGURE THIS OUT.
WE'VE, WE'VE GOT AN ISSUE AND THAT'S NOT BEING ABLE, YOU KNOW, TO GET THE GENERATION WE NEED AT THE TIME THAT WE NEED IT.
AND THAT TIME IS NOT, YOU KNOW, FIVE, 10 YEARS FROM NOW, IT'S GOING TO BE, YOU KNOW, IN THE NEXT FEW YEARS WE'RE SEEING CUSTOMERS, UM, AND LOADS COMING IN THAT WE'VE NEVER SEEN BEFORE.
AND WE'VE GOTTA DEAL WITH IT NOW.
AND IF WE DON'T, WE'RE DEFINITELY GOING TO BE SITTING IN A SITUATION, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, WHERE WE'RE, WE CAN'T SERVE IT, WE CAN'T AND WE'RE GONNA HAVE TROUBLE.
AND THE BIGGEST THING FOR US IS WE CAN'T HAVE PEOPLE IN FREEZING TEMPERATURES WITHOUT POWER AND HOT TEMPERATURES WITHOUT POWER BECAUSE THE DEMAND IS SO HIGH THAT WE CAN'T PROVIDE IT.
'CAUSE WE'RE ALSO PROVIDING IT TO THESE OTHER CUSTOMERS.
SO, YOU KNOW, I THINK THE BIGGEST THING FOR US IS LET'S, LET'S DEAL WITH WHAT WE NEED TO ON THE STATE LEGISLATIVE SIDE.
LET'S GET RID OF THE RED TAPE OF, OF, OF MAKING IT HARD TO, TO BRING IN AND GET NATURAL GAS AND PLANTS THAT ARE GONNA DO WHAT WE NEEDED TO DO.
UM, AND AGAIN, I WANNA GET ALL BEHIND THE BATTERY INDUSTRY AND THE SOLAR INDUSTRY AND, AND RENEWABLES.
WE, WE ALL WANT TO, WE'RE JUST, WE'RE NOT THERE YET.
WE CAN'T START BRINGING THINGS DOWN AND TURNING THINGS OFF WITHOUT HAVING A CONSISTENT, RELIABLE SOURCE, UM, IN ITS REPLACEMENT.
SO, UM, YOU KNOW, THAT'S, I MAY JUST ADD TO THAT FROM THE, THE WATER WASTEWATER SIDE, YOU KNOW, I ECHO A LOT OF THOSE SAME SORT OF COMMENTS OR THOUGHTS.
UH, YOU KNOW, FOR OUR PIECE OF IT, OUR INFRASTRUCTURE'S PERMANENT OR WE LOOK AT IT THAT WAY WHEN IT GOES IN.
SO WE HAVE A LOT OF PLANNING ENERGY THAT GOES INTO IT AS WE SEE LARGE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS COMING, OR WE HEAR RUMORS OF THEM COMING, WE, WE SHIFT OUR PRIORITIES AND WE SAY, HEY, THIS IS AN AREA NOW THAT WE NEED TO FOCUS A LITTLE MORE ATTENTION, AND WE NEED TO HAVE A BETTER UNDERSTANDING AS TO WHAT THE LAND USE IS GONNA BUILD OUT AT.
WHAT DOES THAT MEAN FOR US? YOU SAW EARLIER, OUR, OUR, OUR PROJECTS ARE VERY EXPENSIVE.
THAT TAKES YEARS FOR US TO PUT 'EM IN PLACE.
SO AS WE LOOK OUT AND WE START TO SAY, OKAY, THERE IS MORE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMING INTO THE JASPER COUNTY AREA, UH, HARDY VILLAGE'S VERY INTERESTED IN SEEING SOME OF THAT COME.
WE KNOW ABOUT THE MORGAN AND THE CAR TRACKS AND LATITUDES AND ALL THOSE GUYS.
FOR US, WE START LOOKING, IS THERE ANOTHER, MAYBE A TREATMENT PLANT LOCATION OR OTHER LOCATIONS TO PUT SOME OF OUR INFRASTRUCTURE THAT ULTIMATELY ARE GONNA BE MORE COST EFFECTIVE THAN MAYBE WHERE WE WERE HEADED TODAY BECAUSE OF THE NEW INFORMATION.
SO FOR US, IT'S BEEN, IT'S BEEN GREAT 'CAUSE IT'S BEEN AN OPPORTUNITY TO KIND OF REEVALUATE SOME OF OUR PAST ASSUMPTIONS AND, AND MAYBE GIVE A LITTLE MORE ATTENTION TO SELECTED ALTERNATIVES.
HI, I'M JESSE WHITE WITH THE COASTAL CONSERVATION LEAGUE.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATIONS.
UM, I MOSTLY HAD A QUESTION FOR BEAUFORT, JASPER, I REALLY APPRECIATED THE SLIDE ABOUT, UM, THE COLLABORATIVE PLANNING BEING CRITICAL, AND ESPECIALLY IN A, IN A REGIONAL PLANNING BODY LIKE THIS WHERE YOU HAVE ALL THE, UM, ALL OF YOUR ELECTED OFFICIALS AND, AND, UM, STAFF HERE TO SUPPORT.
WHAT, WHAT MORE COULD WE DO, UM, AND WHAT COULD THIS BODY
[01:10:01]
DO TO HELP, UM, AS YOU'RE FACING THESE UNPRECEDENTED GROWTH, UM, PRESSURES? AND IS, IS THERE A ROLE THAT SO LOCO CAN PLAY, UM, WHEN IT COMES TO DEALING WITH THOSE PRESSURES AND MAYBE, UM, TO THE EXTENT THAT SOME COULD BE, UH, PROLONGED THAT AREN'T NECESSARY OR, YOU KNOW, WE'RE, WE'RE DEALING WITH EXISTING DEMAND AND GROWTH THAT HAS ALREADY BEEN APPROVED, AND SO IS THERE A FORWARD LOOKING, UM, GROWTH MODEL THAT BEAUFORT JASPER'S LOOKING AT? THOSE ARE KIND OF THE QUESTIONS I'M CURIOUS ABOUT.YEAH, NO, THAT'S, THAT'S GREAT.
IN FACT, I'M, I'M PROBABLY GONNA LOOK AT MY PLANNERS JUST A LITTLE BIT, LIKE THEY HAVE ALL THE ANSWERS ON THIS PIECE OF IT, BUT QUITE, QUITE FRANKLY, THAT'S PART OF OUR, OUR STRATEGY.
SO OUT OF OUR ENGINEERING GROUP, WE HAVE BASICALLY SIX DIFFERENT FUNCTIONS THAT WE'RE DOING.
ONE PIECE OF IT IS WE'RE INVOLVED IN PERMITTING ALL THE WATER AND SEWER STUFF THAT'S HAPPENING IN THIS AREA, WHICH IS GREAT BECAUSE IT HELPS US GET SOME INFORMATION ON THE FRONT END.
BUT YOU FOLKS HERE AROUND THE TABLE ALSO ARE A PART OF THAT THROUGH YOUR OWN APPROVALS, THROUGH YOUR, YOUR JURISDICTIONS.
SO I LOOK AT OUR PLANNERS AND THEY'RE ALREADY HAVING MANY OF THOSE COLLABORATIVE MEETINGS JUST TO TRY TO UNDERSTAND PROJECTS AS THEY'RE COMING TOGETHER.
ARE THEY SUPPORTED? WHAT'S THE TIMEFRAME THAT THEY'RE GONNA COME ON? AND THEN ANOTHER PIECE OF WHAT WE'RE DOING INSIDE OF OUR ENGINEERING GROUP IS WE HAVE OUR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS PROGRAM THAT I TALKED ABOUT BEHIND ME.
AND THAT'S ONCE WE HAVE AN IDEA AS TO WHERE THOSE, WHERE THOSE DENSITIES ARE BEING DEVELOPED OR IF THEY'RE CHANGING AS THEY OFTENTIMES DO, WHATEVER THE NEW PRODUCT IS THAT IS COMING TO MARKET, THEN WE'RE IN A BETTER POSITION TO TRY TO PUT THAT INFRASTRUCTURE IN PLACE.
SO THE ANSWER, IT'S NOT, IT'S NOT STATIONARY, IT'S NOT BINARY, IT'S NOT ONE TIME.
I THINK IT'S AN ONGOING JUST PROGRESSIVE AND INTERACTIVE PROCESS WHERE WE CONTINUE TO BE ENGAGED WITH EACH OF THE STAKEHOLDERS AROUND THE TABLE, UNDERSTAND YOUR VISION, UNDERSTAND YOUR PRIORITIES, AND THEN WE WANNA BE, I'LL SAY, WE WANNA BE A PARTNER IN THAT PIECE OF IT FOR YOU AND WITH YOU, JUST SO THAT WE'RE IN A SPOT WHERE NO ONE'S GONNA LOOK AT US AND SAY, WELL, WE CAN'T DO OUR DREAM OR OUR VISION BECAUSE BUFORD JASPER WASN'T READY TO SUPPORT US.
I DON'T, I DON'T WANNA HEAR THAT CONVERSATION.
I WANNA MAKE SURE WE DON'T GET TO THAT SPOT.
THANK YOU EVERYBODY FOR, UH, PREPARING THIS PRESENTATION AND JOINING US THIS MORNING.
AND I THINK ONE OF THE TAKEAWAYS IS, YOU KNOW, ALL OF US, AS SO LOCO AND JESSE WAS REFERRING TO, WE NEED TO KEEP ALL OUR, UM, UTILITIES INFORMED OF WHAT WE ANTICIPATE HAPPENING SO THAT YOU, YOU'RE AWARE AND YOU CAN START PREPARING.
SO, UH, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR, FOR COMING TODAY.
UM, REAL QUICKLY, BECAUSE I KNOW WE'RE SLIGHTLY OVER OUR TIME LIMIT, BUT, UM, FOR NEXT MONTH, UH, WE HAVE A, UM, A PROPOSED AGENDA FROM THE BEAUFORT COUNTY HUMAN SERVICES ADMINISTRATION, UM, TO COME IN AND GIVE US A PRESENTATION REGARDING OUR GROWING UNHOUSED POPULATION.
SO I'D ASK THE BOARD, UH, ALSO PART OF, UH, APRIL TO START OFF WOULD BE A UPDATE FROM, BUT BUFORT JASPER HOUSING TRUST.
SO I WOULD ASK THE BOARD IS, UM, IS THIS AGENDA PROPOSAL OKAY OR IS THERE ANOTHER PROPOSAL FOR NEXT MONTH? IT'S OKAY.
SO, UM, SCOTT, WILL YOU PLEASE, UM, ARRANGE THAT, UH, THAT WAS YOUR PROPOSAL AND FOR MAY AND JUNE? UM, UH, TYLER MANION OF WTOC, UM, HAS, UH, GOTTEN ME INVOLVED IN A ALZHEIMER'S WALK THAT OCCURS AT THE END OF OCTOBER.
AND HE WOULD LIKE TO COME IN FRONT OF THE GROUP AND TALK ABOUT, UH, THE EFFORTS OF, UH, THIS ALZHEIMER PROBLEM.
ONE OF THE PEOPLE THAT I MET AT THE MEETING WAS THE FIRST RECIPIENT OF THE NEW ALZHEIMER'S DRUG.
AND THERE, THAT HAS BEEN APPROVED BY THE FDA, SO I THINK YOU'LL FIND IT INTERESTING.
IS THIS SOMETHING THE BOARD WOULD LIKE TO, UH, LEARN ABOUT? SURE.
I'LL ARRANGE THAT FOR MAY OR JUNE.
AND AS ALWAYS, IF THE BOARD HAS ANY OTHER PROPOSALS FOR THE FUTURE AGENDA, PLEASE LET ME KNOW AS SCOTT DID ABOUT THE UNHOUSED AND THAT THAT SEEMS TO BE A, A GROWING, UM, SITUATION FOR ALL OF US.
UM, I'M GONNA JUST MAKE ONE COMMENT.
UM, WHEN IT COMES TO BEAUFORT, JASPER WATER AND SEWER, THEIR NEW EMPLOYEES, THEIR NEW MANAGEMENT,
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I'M EXCITED CLOSER TOGETHER AND MADE WORK PROGRESS IN THE LAST YEAR.SO I'M EXCITED FOR THE JOB THAT THEY'RE DOING AND THEIR WILLINGNESS TO VALUE OUR IMPORTANT ENVIRONMENT, EXCITED ABOUT THEIR PARTNERSHIP WITH US, UM, AND GETTING SOME STUFF DONE THAT'S LONG OVERDUE.
SO ANYWAY, COULDN'T AGREE WITH YOU MORE.
AND, UH, ALSO ALL THE COOPERATION FROM OUR UTILITIES HAS BEEN, UH, YOU KNOW, WE'RE, WE'RE REALLY, UH, APPRECIATIVE OF LOOKING FORWARD.
UM, HARRY, I WAS CONCERNED, UM, IF THE BOARD WOULD ENTERTAIN A LETTER TO THE TOWN OF RIDGELAND ABOUT THE PROPOSED ANNEXATION OF, UH, CHELSEA AND TON HALL AND THE IMPACT THAT'S GONNA HAVE ON OUR REGION.
THAT'S A, THAT'S A GOOD SUGGESTION.
EVERYBODY ELSE? WOULD YOU LIKE TO HEAR ABOUT THAT? I UNDERSTAND THEY HAVE HAD PUBLIC HEARING, BUT HAVE NOT PASSED THAT.
UH, I DID ASK, UM, ONE OF THE NEW COUNCILMAN BILL FISHBURNE TO BE HERE.
UM, COUNCILMAN WOOD AND, AND I ARE TRYING TO, UM, ENCOURAGE, UH, ORIGINALLY AND I MET WITH THEIR PRO TEM AND ONE OF THE NEW COUNCIL PEOPLE TO GET BACK INVOLVED WITH THIS COMMITTEE.
SO I'LL, I'LL ASK THEM IF THEY COULD, UM, UH, BY THAT TIME THEY MAY, I, I THINK WE COULD GET ON MAY.
WE'D HAVE ENOUGH TIME TO DO THE ALZHEIMER'S WALK AND HEAR FROM LIND MIGHT BE A GOOD WAY TO GET THEM BACK INVOLVED.
IT'S, UH, BEING TACKLED AT THE STATE LEVEL AND, UH, I'VE TALKED WITH A LOT OF INDIVIDUALS LOCALLY.
UM, I'M TALKING REALITY WISE IN THE NON-PROFIT WORLD TO SEE WHAT WE CAN DO.
UM, I THINK WE ALL REALIZE THAT THERE'S A LACK OF WORKERS AND A LOT OF THAT'S IMPACTED BY CHILDCARE AS WELL AS HOUSING COSTS.
SO I'D LIKE TO SEE IF THAT'S SOMETHING THAT THE COMMITTEE WOULD ENTERTAIN A DISCUSSION ON.
AND DAN, DO YOU HAVE A RECOMMENDATION AS TO WHO WOULD PRESENT THAT? DO YOU HAVE A SPECIFIC, UH, ORGANIZATION OR PERSON IN MIND? YES.
I'M, I'M THINKING, UH, RIGHT NOW JODY LEVITT WITH THE CHILDREN'S CENTER OFF OF HILTON HEAD AND POTENTIALLY REPRESENTATIVE SHANNON ERICKSON.
I THINK IF YOU WAIT TILL JUNE, THEY SHOULD BE AT A SESSION.
I THINK THERE'S SOUND DIE, LIKE MID-MAY, SO THAT MAY WORK.
SO WE'LL TARGET THAT FOR JUNE, THE BOARD OKAY.
AND IF THERE, AGAIN, IF THERE'S ANY SUGGESTIONS THAT YOU THINK OF AFTER THE MEETING, PLEASE UH, EMAIL THAT TO MYSELF AND, AND, UH, MAYOR PERRY.
AND WE WILL WE'LL, UM, WE'LL GET THAT MOVING.
AND I, I JUST, I CAN'T END WITHOUT SAYING WHAT A SPECTACULAR JOB YOU DID LAST MONTH WHILE I WAS IT WAS ALL YOUR C CRUISING IN, IN THE CARIBBEAN.
SEE, HE'S FOLLOWING YOUR LEAD BECAUSE HE'S NOT WEARING SOCKS EITHER.
THANK YOU EVERYBODY FOR JOINING US.
HERE'S WHAT'S HAPPENING IN BEAUFORT COUNTY.
A FEW MILES FROM BEAUFORT, SOUTH CAROLINA.
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OF PORT ROYAL STANDS A PROPERTY OF NATIONAL IMPORTANCE.IN FACT, IT'S LISTED IN THE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES.
FOR MORE THAN A DECADE, THE ONLY PUBLIC ACCESS TO THE PROPERTY HAS BEEN BY WATER.
SOUTH CAROLINA'S DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES IS WORKING TO PROVIDE ACCESS FOR ALL.
A CULTURAL RESOURCES, INVENTORY, OR ARCHEOLOGY MUST BE DONE BUILT FROM TABBY, A MIXTURE OF OYSTER SHELLS, LIME, SAND, AND WATER.
SIMILAR IN MANY WAYS TO CONCRETE.
FORT FREDERICK'S CONSTRUCTION WAS ORDERED IN 1726 BY THE BRITISH COLONIAL GOVERNMENT TO GUARD PORT, ROYAL SOUND, AND THE TOWN OF BEAUFORT FROM APPROACHED BY SPANISH WARSHIPS, AN ESTIMATED 50,000 BUSHELS OF OYSTERS WERE NEEDED FOR THE FIVE FOOT HIGH, FIVE FOOT THICK TABBY WALLS.
IT IS THE OLDEST TABBY STRUCTURE IN SOUTH CAROLINA.
THE ADJACENT PROPERTY IS THE UNITED STATES NAVAL HOSPITAL.
ON THIS PROPERTY WAS THE 19TH CENTURY SMITH PLANTATION, WHICH BECAME THE UNION ARMY'S CAMP SAXTON DURING THE CIVIL WAR AND HOME OF THE FIRST REGIMENT COMPRISED OF FREED SLAVES.
THE OBJECT IS TO EXTRACT AS MUCH INFORMATION AS POSSIBLE IN A GIVEN AMOUNT OF TIME.
THERE IS A CERTAIN METHODOLOGY USED IN AN INVESTIGATION LIKE THIS COME ALONG AND SEE HOW IT'S DONE.
THE INITIAL SHOVEL TESTS DUG RANDOMLY AROUND THE SITE, EXAMINE THE DENSITY OF ARTIFACTS AND THE PERIOD OF OCCUPATION AT FORT FREDERICK.
ARTIFACTS INCLUDED 19TH CENTURY, 18TH CENTURY, AND PREHISTORIC OBJECTS.
THIS IS A FLAKE, A STONE TOOL, FLAKE.
IT'S A PIECE OF CHURCH FROM ALLENDALE COPPER SITE, TOP OF THAT AREA.
IT'S PRETTY, IT KIND OF TELLS YOU HOW RICH IT IS OUT HERE.
WITH THESE INITIAL TESTS, ARCHEOLOGISTS DETERMINE THE DEPTH REQUIRED OF THE SHOVEL TESTS IN THE NEXT PHASE.
THAT DEPTH IS WHEN THEY REACH A STERILE SOIL LAYER WHERE THEY NO LONGER SEE CULTURAL MATERIAL.
FOR PHASE ONE OF THIS PROJECT, A GRID IS LAID OVER THE SITE MAP.
THE SCOPE OF WORK HERE CALLS FOR SHOVEL TEST PROBES EVERY 10 METERS ACROSS THE ENTIRE THREE ACRES, RIGHT? OH.
USING A SURVEYING INSTRUMENT CALLED A TOTAL STATION PIN FLAGS ARE PLACED TO MATCH THE GRID MAP.
EACH FLAG IS IDENTIFIED BY ITS EXACT LOCATION.
A FIELD TEAM FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA'S INSTITUTE OF ARCHEOLOGY AND ANTHROPOLOGY IS CONTRACTED TO CONDUCT THE FIELD WORK.
THE DATA COLLECTED FROM THESE SHOVEL TESTS WILL GUIDE THE UPCOMING MONTH LONG EXCAVATION, AS WELL AS ANY THAT MAY BE UNDERTAKEN IN YEARS TO COME.
ALL THE SOILS ARE SCREENED THROUGH A QUARTER INCH MESH.
ALL ARTIFACTS ARE BAGGED ACCORDING TO THEIR EXACT LOCATION AND DEPTH FOR LATER ANALYSIS FOR THE NEXT PHASE.
UNITS OF TWO METERS IN DIAMETER ARE LAID OUT IN THE AREAS CONFIRMED BY THE SHOVEL TESTS.
TO HAVE THE HIGHEST DENSITY OF ARTIFACTS, THE FIELD TEAM REMOVES SOIL LAYER BY LAYER.
SO HOW DEEP IS EACH LEVEL? SOMETIMES A STANDARD DEPTH OF 10 CENTIMETERS IS USED AT FORT FREDERICK.
THEY'LL EXCAVATE LAYERS ACCORDING TO CHANGES IN SOIL COLOR.
AGAIN, ALL THE DIRT IS SCREENED AND THE ARTIFACTS BAGGED.
THIS INFORMATION WILL ACCOMPANY THE ARTIFACTS THROUGHOUT THE CURATION PROCESS.
THESE UNITS SHOW AN OCCUPATION FROM THE FIRST HALF OF THE 19TH CENTURY IS THE STONE AMERICAN STONE WEAR WITH ONLY FOUR WEEKS BUDGETED FOR THE PROJECT.
THE FIELD TEAM MUST BE METICULOUS AND QUICK AT THE SAME TIME.
MOTORIZED SCREENERS HELP SPEED SIFTING THROUGH LARGE VOLUMES OF SOIL.
WHILE SOME TASKS REQUIRE A MORE DELICATE TOUCH LOOKING CLOSELY, SOME AREAS SHOW A COLOR CHANGE IN THE SOIL CALLED FEATURES.
THESE AREAS WERE LIKELY DISTURBED BY HUMANS IN THE PAST WERE THESE POST HOLES FOR A STRUCTURE OR HOLES WHERE ITEMS OFTEN TRASH WERE BURIED.
THESE FEATURES ARE EXCAVATED FURTHER AS THEY OFTEN YIELD ARTIFACTS, AND THESE FEATURES MUST BE EXCAVATED TO THEIR STERILE SOIL LAYER.
WORK IN THIS AREA OF THE SITE IS PLANNED FOR TWO WEEKS.
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THE SECOND HALF OF THIS PROJECT, THE TEAM MOVES TO THE FORT ITSELF.THE DECISION IS MADE TO LAY OUT CONTIGUOUS TWO METER UNITS THAT SPAN THE FORT'S INTERIOR WALL TO WALL.
GIVEN THE DEPTH REQUIRED, THERE IS A LOT OF DIRT TO BE MOVED NEAR THE EAST WALL.
THE TEAM ENCOUNTERS A RUBBLE FILLED FEATURE.
THIS FEATURE IS EXCAVATED AND THE CONTENTS BAGGED FOR THE TRIP TO THE LAP.
EVERY CONCEIVABLE DATA POINT, STRATIGRAPHY SOIL COLORS, DEPTHS, AND FEATURES IS COLLECTED FOR LATER ANALYSIS.
THE EXCAVATION OF THE FORT'S INTERIOR HAS EXPOSED THE FULL DEPTH OF THE WALLS, YIELDING ARTIFACTS FROM PREHISTORIC TIMES THROUGH THE 19TH CENTURY.
NOW, LAB ANALYSIS WILL BEGIN TO PIECE TOGETHER UNKNOWN FACTS ABOUT THE SITE'S LONG OCCUPATION.
BUT FIRST, BEFORE LEAVING THE SITE, THE UNITS ARE BACKFILLED TO PRESERVE THEIR INTEGRITY AND ENSURE THE SAFETY OF THE PUBLIC.
WHEN THE SITE IS REOPENED, UH, WE'VE BEEN REFERRING TO IT AS THE RUBBLE SCATTERED AFTER MANY MONTHS IN THE PLANNING STAGES, A WEEK OF SHOVEL TEST PROBES, A MONTH OF UNIT EXCAVATIONS WITH MOUNTAINS OF SOIL MOVED, PLUS WEEKLY ENGAGEMENT WITH THE PUBLIC.
ARCHEOLOGY AT THIS SITE IS DONE FOR NOW.
IT IS HERE THAT THE SIGNIFICANCE OF WHAT THEY FOUND WILL BE ASSESSED AND ADDED TO OUR UNDERSTANDING OF THOSE WHO OCCUPIED THE FORT FREDERICK HERITAGE PRESERVE.
AND THAT'S WHAT'S HAPPENING IN BEAUFORT COUNTY, THE BLACK TRUCK.
HEY, CHRISTINA FROM ACCOUNTING? YEAH.
HEY, I USED TO DATE A GIRL NAMED CHRISTINA.
AND THEN SHE DUMPED ME FROM MY BEST FRIEND.
YOU WANNA SEE SOME PHOTOS OF THEM THAT I TOOK? I DON'T, I THOUGHT WE TALKED ABOUT THIS BUDDY.
HEY, YOU'RE GONNA GET BACK TO THE TOP OF THE MOUNTAIN.
DOES THAT MEAN I'M GONNA GET BACK WITH CHRISTINA? NO.