Electrical Distribution
The Electrical Department Division operate and maintains the city’s electrical facilities, which provide residential and commercial customers with a dependable supply of electricity. The city currently purchases power from Marlboro Electric Cooperative and maintains one substation. A new substation was constructed outside the city to take delivery from the Marlboro Electric Cooperative. The Electric Distribution Supervisor oversees and coordinates the activities of a Line Foreman and five Line Workers. The division provides 24-hour trouble service.
Tips to Lower Electricity Cost
Gas Distribution
The Natural Gas division operates and maintains the City’s natural gas system and facilities. The City currently purchases natural gas from South Carolina Pipeline. A Gas Distribution Supervisor heads the division. A field crew staffed by three personnel is responsible for making new service taps, piping dwellings, repairing leaks, and connecting appliances and responding to other customer calls on request for service. The division provides a 24-hour trouble service.
A Propane Air Plant is located strategically on Hwy. 15/401 Bypass. Its purpose is to supplement natural gas supply to the City under extreme load conditions and curtailments issued by pipeline suppliers. At this facility liquid propane is vaporized, mixed with air, and then injected into the gas system. The operation of this facility can save thousands of dollars in penalty gas purchases by keeping the system demand from exceeding contract allotments.
City of Bennettsville South Carolina Integrated Resource Plan
The City of Bennettsville owns and operates an electric distribution utility (the Utility). South Carolina Code Ann. Section 58-37-40 requires a municipal electric utility to prepare an Integrated Resource Plan, submit the plan to the State Energy Office, and post the plan to the Utility’s website.
The Utility purchases bulk power from Marlboro Electric Coopertive, the Power Supplier, through an all requirements wholesale power purchase agreement (the Agreement). The current contract period runs from January 27, 2015 to January 31, 2031. The Agreement requires the Power Supplier to furnish and the Utility to purchase and receive all power required to serve the utility’s customers except for de-minimis demand-side peak-shaving generation.
Under the Agreement, the Power Supplier is solely responsible for the operation, maintenance, replacement of generation facilities, securing other supplies if necessary, and the dispatch and transmission of power delivered to meet the requirements of the Agreement. The power supplied to the Utility reflects the generation portfolio of the supplier(s). During the contract period, the power supplier(s) retain the right to determine the generating facility(s), and source(s) of power delivered to meet the obligations of the Agreement.
For information on the IRP plan components required in S.C. Code Ann. Section 58-37-40 (B) (1) and (2), Refer to Marlboro Electric Cooperative’s integrated resource plan on file with the South Carolina Energy Office, http://energy.sc.gov/node/3048.