First they came for South Carolina-owned banks.

Then they came for locally-owned businesses.

Now they are coming for the state’s only investor-owned power company.

If state regulators and lawmakers permit it, Dominion Energy will buy Lexington County-based SCANA.

That will leave 727,000 ratepayers with the cost of a $9 billion nuclear fiasco.

In addition, 600 SCANA employees and many of their bosses will be jobless.

The sale will take control of electric generation out of state except for locally-owned electric cooperatives such as Mid-Carolina in Lexington County and taxpayer-owned Santee Cooper.

Dominion can win approval to buy SCANA if a handful of powerful South Carolinians have their way.

These include House Speaker Jay Lucas.

Public sentiment has run heavily against Dominion since it intends to charge ratepayers for the failed $9 billion project and they will never receive promised savings in electricity costs.

Ratepayers’ lawyers announced last week they agreed to settle lawsuits against SCE&G and its owners at SCANA.

In return they won $115 million in customer refunds if the Dominion buyout is approved by the Public service Commission, The State newspaper reported.

This may pressure the 7 commissioners including Elliott Elam of Lexington to approve a sale next month.

What the settlement may do to a ruling from Circuit Court Judge John Hayes in York County is unclear.

The judge could rule unconstitutional the controversial state law that allowed SCE&G to run up ratepayer charges to $2 billion.

The State reported that the judge may not block the Dominion deal.

But he must approve the settlement agreement.

The settlement helped investors. SCANA stock value rose 5% to $46.63.

That’s within $3 of what Dominion is offering.

The Office of Regulatory Staff has rejected Dominion’s offer to cut rates $22 a month as insufficient.

The Friends of the Earth, the Sierra Club and the Stop the Blank Check Coalition are also opposed.

ORS wants to cut SCE&G rates more than 20%.

Dominion has said it will withdraw its offer if the PSC cuts rates that much.