Who runs the utilities in South Carolina?
South Carolina has 2,503,082 residential customers, EIA-861 2024 sales file (97% of EIA's count). Investor-owned 56.5%. Cooperative 31.5%. State and federal 7.4%. Municipal 4.6%. South Carolina ranks 41st of 51 states, investor-owned.
South Carolina homes by utility type
South Carolina: customers by type, %
- 56.5Investor-owned
- 4.6Municipal
- 31.5Cooperative
- 7.4State and federal
| South Carolina type | Utilities | Customers | Share | Price ¢/kWh | Gap ¢ (%) | kWh/mo | Nonmetro |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Investor-owned | 3 | 1,413,660 | 56.5% | 14.38 | not shown | 1,041 | 24% |
| Municipal | 21 | 115,863 | 4.6% | 12.73 | -1.65 (-11%) | 892 | 33% |
| Cooperative | 20 | 788,030 | 31.5% | 14.58 | +0.21 (+1%) | 1,121 | 27% |
| Political subdivision | 1 | 0 | none | none | not shown | none | no county data |
| State and federal | 1 | 185,529 | 7.4% | 11.38 | -3.00 (-21%) | 945 | 33% |
South Carolina prices by utility type
municipal utilities average 12.7 cents, 1.6 cents (11%) below investor-owned at 14.4; cooperatives average 14.6 cents, 0.2 cents (1%) above investor-owned at 14.4; state and federal utilities average 11.4 cents, 3.0 cents (21%) below investor-owned at 14.4.
South Carolina gaps mix cost and customer mix; method.
South Carolina: which utilities set the averages
Cooperative at 14.6 cents and state and federal utilities at 11.4 are the widest pair in South Carolina, 3.2 cents (28%).
Investor-owned: Dominion Energy South Carolina, Inc holds 49% of priced customers at 14.6 cents, group average 14.4. Among 3 with 5,000+ customers, Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC charges 14.0 and Duke Energy Progress 14.9, 0.9 cents apart.
Municipal: City of Rock Hill holds 31% of priced customers at 12.5 cents, group average 12.7. Among 6 with 5,000+ customers, Greenwood CPW charges 9.0 and City of Orangeburg 15.5, 6.4 cents apart.
Cooperative: Berkeley Electric Coop Inc holds 15% of priced customers at 14.9 cents, group average 14.6. Among 17 with 5,000+ customers, MPD Electric Cooperative charges 10.9 and Blue Ridge Electric Coop Inc 18.9, 8.0 cents apart.
State and federal: South Carolina Public Service Authority alone has a price, 185,529 customers at 11.4 cents.
South Carolina territory, rural or urban
South Carolina has 46 counties, 43% of them nonmetro in USDA's 2023 codes. Customer-weighted: investor-owned territory is 24% nonmetro; municipal territory is 33% nonmetro; cooperative territory is 27% nonmetro; state or federal territory is 33% nonmetro.
South Carolina: largest utilities
| Dominion Energy South Carolina, Inc | Investor-owned | 696,385 | 14.59 | 1,032 | 9% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC | Investor-owned | 568,586 | 13.99 | 1,026 | 32% |
| South Carolina Public Service Authority | State and federal | 185,529 | 11.38 | 945 | 33% |
| Duke Energy Progress | Investor-owned | 143,713 | 14.88 | 1,146 | 62% |
| Berkeley Electric Coop Inc | Cooperative | 115,117 | 14.94 | 1,140 | 0% |
| Horry Electric Coop Inc | Cooperative | 86,726 | 13.23 | 1,060 | 0% |
| Palmetto Electric Coop Inc | Cooperative | 68,338 | 12.79 | 1,203 | 50% |
| Blue Ridge Electric Coop Inc | Cooperative | 67,553 | 18.94 | 1,000 | 20% |
| York Electric Coop Inc | Cooperative | 65,244 | 12.65 | 1,080 | 25% |
| Laurens Electric Coop, Inc | Cooperative | 58,438 | 14.66 | 1,065 | 29% |
| Mid-Carolina Electric Coop Inc | Cooperative | 56,463 | 14.88 | 1,146 | 20% |
| Aiken Electric Coop Inc | Cooperative | 49,460 | 15.53 | 1,097 | 44% |
| City of Rock Hill | Municipal | 36,492 | 12.55 | 824 | 0% |
| Santee Electric Coop, Inc | Cooperative | 35,235 | 14.74 | 1,251 | 75% |
| Fairfield Electric Coop, Inc | Cooperative | 32,397 | 14.35 | 1,141 | 0% |
| MPD Electric Cooperative | Cooperative | 31,874 | 10.94 | 1,312 | 71% |
| Black River Electric Coop, Inc | Cooperative | 30,610 | 13.47 | 1,258 | 50% |
| Greer Commission of Public Wks | Municipal | 24,893 | 11.80 | 820 | 0% |
| Broad River Electric Coop, Inc | Cooperative | 23,140 | 15.91 | 1,055 | 40% |
| Lynches River Elec Coop, Inc | Cooperative | 21,363 | 15.71 | 1,022 | 33% |
| City of Orangeburg | Municipal | 20,639 | 15.49 | 1,064 | 100% |
| Tri-County Electric Coop, Inc (SC) | Cooperative | 17,672 | 18.51 | 1,098 | 17% |
| Easley Combined Utility System | Municipal | 15,772 | 12.81 | 975 | 0% |
| Edisto Electric Coop, Inc | Cooperative | 15,421 | 16.40 | 1,219 | 75% |
| Newberry Electric Coop, Inc | Cooperative | 12,970 | 16.32 | 998 | 25% |
| Greenwood CPW | Municipal | 11,753 | 9.04 | 812 | 100% |
| City of Gaffney | Municipal | 6,314 | 12.39 | 954 | 100% |
| Lockhart Power Co | Investor-owned | 4,976 | 13.42 | 1,068 | 20% |
| Haywood Electric Member Corp | Cooperative | 9 | 18.97 | 537 | 100% |
Compare your South Carolina utility
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South Carolina next to its neighbors
South Carolina: municipal -11%, cooperative +1% against investor-owned. Gaps are within each state.
| State | Investor-owned | Municipal | Cooperative | Muni gap | Coop gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Carolina | 56% | 5% | 31% | -11% | +1% |
| Georgia | 52% | 5% | 43% | -17% | -18% |
| North Carolina | 69% | 9% | 22% | -18% | -6% |
More
Similar investor-owned share: Alabama 57%, Arizona 57%, North Dakota 56%, Kentucky 54%
Sources
South Carolina: EIA-861 (2024), USDA RUCC (2023); retrieval dates, checksums.
Questions
Which utility type serves most South Carolina homes?
Investor-owned utilities, 56.5% of 2,503,082 customers.
Do South Carolina co-ops or municipal utilities charge less?
Municipal utilities averaged 12.7 cents per kWh against 14.4 for investor-owned (-11%). Cooperatives averaged 14.6 cents per kWh against 14.4 for investor-owned (+1%). State and federal utilities averaged 11.4 cents per kWh against 14.4 for investor-owned (-21%).
How many utilities does South Carolina have?
EIA-861 (2024) lists 46; residential sales are reported by 29.
Can South Carolina customers pick their utility?
No; South Carolina shows almost no energy-only supply and the address sets the utility.