South Carolina H 3807: Burying Electrical Lines

Bill Text

2025-2026 Bill 3807 Text of Previous Version (Jan. 28, 2025) - South Carolina Legislature Online 

South Carolina General Assembly
126th Session, 2025-2026

Bill 3807

Indicates Matter Stricken
Indicates New Matter

(Text matches printed bills. Document has been reformatted to meet World Wide Web specifications.)

A bill

TO AMEND THE SOUTH 
CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY ADDING SECTION 58-27-25 SO AS TO PROVIDE AN ELECTRICAL 
UTILITY OPERATING IN THIS STATE SHALL BURY ALL OF ITS NEW ELECTRICAL POWER 
TRANSMISSION LINES INSTALLED WITHIN THE BOUNDARIES OF A MUNICIPALITY IN THIS 
STATE BEGINNING JANUARY 2, 2026, AND SHALL BURY ALL OF ITS EXISTING ELECTRICAL 
POWER TRANSMISSION LINES LOCATED WITHIN THE BOUNDARIES OF A MUNICIPALITY IN 
THIS STATE ACCORDING TO A GRADUATED SCHEDULE BEFORE JANUARY 1, 2031; AND BY 
AMENDING SECTION 58-27-20, RELATING TO AREAS IN WHICH THE CHAPTER IS 
INAPPLICABLE, SO AS TO MAKE THE CHAPTER APPLICABLE TO SECTION 58-27-25.

Be it enacted by the 
General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:

SECTION 1. Article 1, Chapter 27, Title 58 of the S.C. Code is 
amended by adding:

 Section 
58-27-25. (A) An electrical utility 
operating in this State shall bury:

 (1) 
all of its new electrical power transmission lines installed within the 
boundaries of a municipality in this State beginning January 2, 2026;

 (2) 
all of its existing electrical power transmission lines located within the 
boundaries of a municipality before January 1, 2031, as follows:

 (a) 
at least twenty-five percent of the lines must be buried before January 1, 
2028;

 (b) 
at least fifty percent of the lines must be buried before January 1, 2029;

 (c) 
at least seventy-five percent of the lines must be buried before January 1, 
2030; and

 (d) 
one hundred percent of the lines must be buried before January 1, 2031.

 (B) 
This section applies to all electrical utilities, including electrical 
utilities otherwise exempted from the provisions of this chapter.

SECTION 2. Section 58-27-20 of the S.C. Code is amended to read:

 Section 
58-27-20. The provisions of this chapter, except for 
Section 58-27-25, shall not apply to the areas within former municipal 
corporate limits, where suchthis 
municipality becomes a part of a consolidated political subdivision whenever suchwhen this 
municipality owns and operates its own electric system and so long as suchthis system continues to 
be owned and operated by the consolidated political subdivision.

SECTION 3. This act takes effect upon approval 
by the Governor.

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This web page was last updated on January 28, 2025 at 01:43 PM