Paul Basha, CEO of York Electric Cooperative and chairman of Central Electric Power Cooperative, announces co-op support for the comprehensive energy bill H. 5118.
Photo by Erin Powell
York Electric Cooperative CEO Paul Basha penned an op-ed in The Post and Courier explaining why South Carolina’s electric cooperatives support a bill that calls for upgrades to the Palmetto State’s power grid.
Basha’s column notes that South Carolina faces a looming power supply crisis as the state’s rapid growth pushes demand for electricity to new heights. If policymakers and energy providers don’t act, the state’s residents could face blackouts, and South Carolina’s recent parade of economic development victories will come to a sudden halt, Basha wrote.
The electric cooperatives support H. 5118 because it paves the way for the new power plants, pipelines and transmission projects that are sorely needed to ensure South Carolina’s electric system can handle the needs of tomorrow.
In addition to leading York Electric, Basha currently serves as the chairman of Central Electric Power Cooperative, the generation and transmission cooperative that buys and distributes power to South Carolina’s 19 electric cooperatives.