South Carolina H 5484: E. Columbia Youth Basketball League 12U champs

Bill Text

2025-2026 Bill 5484 Text of Previous Version (Apr. 01, 2026) - South Carolina Legislature Online 

South Carolina General Assembly
126th Session, 2025-2026

Bill 5484

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 ENACTING THE "ENERGY AFFORDABILITY ACT" BY AMENDING 
SECTION 58-37-20, RELATING TO THE PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION, SO AS TO PROVIDE 
FOR DEMAND-SIDE PILOT PROGRAMS; BY AMENDING SECTION 58-37-120, RELATING TO 
APPLICATIONS FOR PERMIT, SO AS TO REQUIRE A PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD FOR ANY 
APPLICATION FOR A PERMIT FOR AN ENERGY INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECT, AND TO REQUIRE 
NOTICE TO AFFECTED LANDOWNERS IF A PUBLIC UTILITY THAT PLANS TO CONSTRUCT, OR 
HAS ENTERED INTO AGREEMENTS TO CONSTRUCT, AN ENERGY INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECT THAT 
MAY RESULT IN THE USE OF EMINENT DOMAIN AND TO PRESCRIBE THE METHODS AND 
CONTENT OF THE NOTICE, AND TO REQUIRE THE OFFICE OF REGULATORY STAFF TO PROVIDE 
THE PROPERTY OWNER A SUMMARY OF OWNER RIGHTS UNDER STATE EMINENT DOMAIN LAW IF 
THE PROPERTY OWNER CONTACTS THE OFFICE OF REGULATORY STAFF AFTER RECEIVING 
NOTICE; BY ADDING SECTION 58-27-835 SO AS TO PROVIDE FOR THE TERMS AND 
CONDITIONS OF ELECTRIC SERVICE TO COMMERCIAL DATA CENTERS; BY ADDING SECTION 
58-27-836 SO AS TO PROVIDE FOR REPORTS TO THE DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL 
SERVICES CONCERNING SURFACE AND GROUND WATER USED BY COMMERCIAL DATA CENTERS; 
BY ADDING SECTION 58-27-837 SO AS TO REQUIRE COMMERCIAL DATA CENTERS TO FILE 
DECOMMISSIONING PLANS AND DECOMMISSIONING FINANCIAL ASSURANCE INSTRUMENTS WITH 
THE DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES; BY AMENDING SECTION 12-36-2120, 
RELATING TO EXEMPTIONS FROM SALES TAX, SO AS TO PROVIDE THAT THE COMPUTER 
EQUIPMENT EXEMPTION IS AVAILABLE TO A TAXPAYER THAT ENTERED INTO A FEE-IN-LIEU 
AGREEMENT ON OR BEFORE MAY 30, 2026; TO PROVIDE THAT THE EXEMPTION FOR ELECTRICITY 
USED BY A TECHNOLOGY INTENSIVE FACILITY IS NOT AVAILABLE TO A TAXPAYER THAT DID 
NOT CLAIM THE CREDIT PRIOR TO MAY 30, 2026; TO PROVIDE THAT TO CLAIM THE 
EXEMPTION FOR ORIGINAL OR REPLACEMENT COMPUTERS, COMPUTER EQUIPMENT, AND 
COMPUTER HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE PURCHASES USED IN A DATACENTER, THE TAXPAYER 
MUST HAVE NOTIFIED THE DEPARTMENTS OF REVENUE AND COMMERCE OF ITS INTENTION TO 
CLAIM THE CREDIT ON OR BEFORE MAY 30, 2026; AND TO PROVIDE THAT THE EXEMPTION 
FOR ORIGINAL OR REPLACEMENT COMPUTERS, COMPUTER EQUIPMENT, AND COMPUTER 
HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE PURCHASES USED IN A DATACENTER THE TAXPAYER MUST HAVE 
BEEN CERTIFIED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE PRIOR TO MAY 30, 2030; AND BY 
AMENDING SECTION 58-27-840, RELATING TO PROHIBITIONS ON PREFERENCES AND 
UNREASONABLE RATES, SO AS TO REQUIRE ELECTRICAL UTILITIES TO OFFER DISCOUNTED 
RATES TO LOW INCOME HOUSEHOLDS, SUBJECT TO THE COMMISSION'S APPROVAL.

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

SECTION 1. This act may be cited as the "Energy Affordability Act."

SECTION 2. Section 58-37-20 (B) and (C) of the S.C. Code is 
amended to read:

 (B) The commission mayshall approve any program 
filed by a public utility if the program is found to be cost-effective. 
Furthermore, the commission may, in its discretion, approve demand-side pilot programs and any program filed by a 
public utility that is not cost-effective, so long as the proposed demand-side 
management program is targeted to low-income customers, 
provided that and the public utility's 
portfolio of demand-side management programs is cost-effective as a whole.

 (C) 
The South Carolina Public Service Commission must adopt procedures that require 
electrical utilities and public utilities providing gas services subject to the 
jurisdiction of the commission to plan for and invest in all reasonable, 
prudent, and available energy efficiency and demand-side resources that are 
cost-effective energy efficient technologies and energy conservation programs in an amount to be determined by the commission that achieve net energy savings of at least 0.66 percent of 
total retail sales as of May 15, 2027, or a higher level as determined by the 
commission. Energy efficiency shall be considered a 
component of the requirement for a utility to make every reasonable effort to 
minimize fuel costs as outlined in Section 58-27-865(F) and the commission may 
grant a proportional disallowance based on evidence in the record. If an 
electrical utility fails to meet the requirements of this section as determined 
by the commission, then the commission is 
authorized to appoint a third-party administrator to carry out the residential low-income energy efficiency duties pursuant 
to this section on behalf of the electrical utility if the commission 
determines that having such a third-party administrator is in the public 
interest and consistent with law. Such a program shall be 
funded through the existing energy efficiency rider mechanism with those