SCE&G went before the Public Service Commission this week requesting a rate increase of 1.38 percent, down from the 6.6 percent they had initially put forward. That decrease was driven by a combination of forces, led by the American Association of Retired People (AARP). While others including the Department of the Navy and Walmart joined the effort, AARP mounted a publicity campaign, "Pull the Plug on Higher Utility Costs," involving their members through robocalls and electronic town hall meetings. Their efforts resulted in a new rate request of 4.23 percent.

According to The State newspaper, SCE&G sought to lower the increase by yet another 2.85 percent, because of reduced natural gas fuel costs. The final requested rate increase came in at 1.38 percent, which translates to an extra $31 a year for an SCE&G customer using an average 1,000 kilowatt hours of electricity a month. The initial request would have increased power costs for that same customer by $80 a year
 

Visitors to downtown Columbia can take a test ride in an electric car, thanks to Central Electric Power Cooperative. Central is lending its 2011 Nissan Leaf to City Center Partnership, a downtown development group that provides a courtesy shuttle. City Center Partnership is driving the co-op's car for several weeks to see if it wants to purchase an electric car for shuttle services.

"Everybody has a preconception that electric vehicles won't cut it-they're going to be slow, pokey, they're not going to be like a real car," said Michael Smith, Central's manager of energy programs. "This gives them an opportunity to see for themselves if they can run the car all day."

Duke Energy has hired retiring U.S. Rep. Heath Shuler (D-N.C.) to be their senior vice president of federal affairs beginning in January. Shuler will not vote on any matters related to Duke Energy for the remainder of his time in Congress and will not actively lobby for one year, as dictated by House ethics rules. Shuler will spend the next year, Duke Energy says, building their federal affairs team in the Washington, D.C., office.

Shuler, a former Washington Redskins quarterback, has represented North Carolina's 11th district since 2007. He announced in January of this year that he would not seek re-election.

A big weekend for the state's football fans was also a big time for co-op members.

At Friday night's Touchdowns for Touchstone Energy celebration, guests mingled with Tiger and Cocky, while watching the Touchstone Energy hot air balloon.

Blue Ridge CEO Charles Dalton on Clemson's pre-game show discussing benefits of the Co-op Connections card

On game day, the celebration continued at the Touchstone Energy tent, with games and give-aways that included mini footballs and t-shirts.

Angela Corbett of Batesburg was the winner of the Touchdowns with Touchstone Energy Contest. Selected randomly from more than 4,000 member entries, she received two tickets to the Clemson-South Carolina game.

  

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Seven years after Texas passed a law encouraging smart meters, the number of requests to opt out is rising. The cost of the state's smart-meter project is $2.5 billion to date, paid for by charges of $2 to $3 a month on most Texans' power bills. Utilities say the meters let them identify outages and fix them more quickly.

But customers complain that the extra charges aren't worth the benefits. Some have expressed concern about exposure to radio frequency signals, which are used to read the meters remotely. "I think anything resulting in voluntary energy efficiency is beneficial, but this particular program has gone a little overboard," wrote State Senator John Carona (R-Dallas), in an e-mail. Carona has said he will push for legislation to give consumers an opt-out.