THE MAGAZINE FOR COOPERATIVE MEMBERS VOLUME 73 • NUMBER 2 (ISSN 0047-486X, USPS 316-240) Read in more than 595,000 homes and businesses and published monthly except in December by The Electric Cooperatives of South Carolina, Inc. 808 Knox Abbott Drive Cayce, SC 29033 Tel: (803) 926-3175 Fax: (803) 796-6064 Email: [email protected] EDITOR Keith Phillips Tel: (803) 739-3040 Email: [email protected] FIELD EDITOR Walter Allread PUBLICATION COORDINATOR Travis Ward ART DIRECTOR Sharri Harris Wolfgang DESIGNER Susan Collins PRODUCTION Andrew Chapman WEB EDITOR Chase Toler COPY EDITORS Jennifer Jas, L. Kim Welborn CONTRIBUTORS April Coker Blake, Mike Couick, Hastings Hensel, Derrill Holly, Jan A. Igoe, L.A. Jackson, Patrick Keegan, Sydney Patterson, Cindi Ross Scoppe, Belinda Smith-Sullivan, Brad Thiessen PUBLISHER Lou Green ADVERTISING Mary Watts Tel: (803) 739-5074 Email: [email protected] NATIONAL REPRESENTATION American MainStreet Publications Tel: (800) 626-1181 Paid advertisements are not endorsements by any electric cooperative or this publication. If you encounter a diffiffifficulty with an advertisement, inform the Editor. ADDRESS CHANGES: Please send to your local co-op. Postmaster: Send Form 3579 to Address Change, c/o the address above. Periodicals postage paid at Columbia, S.C., and additional mailing offiffiffices. ©COPYRIGHT 2019. The Electric Cooperatives of South Carolina, Inc. No portion of South Carolina Living may be reproduced without permission of the Editor. SOUTH CAROLINA LIVING is brought to you by your member-owned, taxpaying, not-for-profifit electric cooperative to inform you about your cooperative, wise energy use and the faces and places that identify the Palmetto State. Electric cooperatives are South Carolina’s—and America’s—largest utility network. ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTIONS: $5.72 members, $8 nonmembers Member of the AMP network reaching more than 9 million homes and businesses 2 0 1 9 | feb SPECIAL REPORT 16 The $4 billion question Learn what South Carolina’s not-for-profifit electric cooperatives are doing to protect consumers from Santee Cooper’s crushing nuclear debt. 23 2019–2020 Legislative Directory Use this special edition of South Carolina Living to keep in touch with your elected offiffifficials in Columbia and Washington, D.C. We extend our grateful appreciation to South Carolina lawmakers for their cooperation in the creation of this directory. 23 SouthCarolina’sU.S.SenatorsandHouseMembers 24 SouthCarolinaExecutiveBranch 25 TheGeneralAssembly,Senators 29 TheGeneralAssembly,HouseMembers 40 PublicServiceCommission 41 Offiffiffice of Regulatory Staffff 16 HOW TO USE THIS GUIDE Each legislator’s name is followed by his or her district number and the counties he or she serves, along with contact informa- tion. State senators’ offiffiffices are on the State House grounds in the Gressette Building. State representatives are in the Blatt Building. All information is current as of January 2019, but is subject to change without notice. ALSO IN THIS ISSUE 4 CO-OP NEWS Updates from your cooperative 6 AGENDA Smart appliances with built-in Wi-Fi can be important tools in home energy savings—today and in the future. 10 DIALOGUE Restoration after the storm In the aftermath of the fifinancial crisis created by the failed nuclear expansion project in Jenkinsville, co-ops are working side-by-side with state lawmakers to clean up the mess. 12 ECONOMY The cooperative difffference Electric co-ops do a lot behind the scenes to bring new industry, jobs and investment to South Carolina. 14 ENERGY Q&A Energy-saving tips for renters Our effiffifficiency experts offffer tips for boosting comfort and lowering energy bills when you don’t own your home. 42 GARDENER The impatient magnolias Keep your eyes open for the fifirst late-winter blooms of deciduous magnolias. 44 RECIPE Easy dinner party Take the stress out of entertaining with Chef Belinda Smith-Sullivan’s roster of delicious dishes that can be made ahead and quickly fifinished on the day of your party. 46 TRAVELS Touring Sandy Island Join us on a journey to a forgotten island steeped in Lowcountry history and a proud tradition of self-reliance. 50 MARKETPLACE 52 CALENDAR 54 HUMOR ME Twelve hugs a day keep the crazy away Bring it in here and embrace the science that proves Aunt Maude’s awkward, extended bear hugs were good for you after all. 23