SC Electric & Gas ratepayers may get little relief from the utility’s plans.

In pre-filed testimony before the Public Service Commission, SCANA CEO Jimmy Addison said that:

• Ratepayers will get little from any of 3 proposals including a PSC denial of their merger with or sale to Dominion Energy of Virginia.

• SCE&G will accept as little liability as the PSC is willing to grant it.

“The important part is this is Addison’s testimony,” Senate Majority Leader Shane Massey told the Chronicle.

“It’s the same thing we’ve been hearing from SCE&G for months. That doesn’t mean it’s what will happen.”

It appears from Addison’s pre-filed testimony that if the PSC denies the Dominion takeover, SCE&G will offer its 700,000 ratepayers a 3.5% cut in the 18% nuclear surcharge they have been paying over 11 years.

State lawmakers have already passed a law requiring a 15% rate cut.

SCE&G plans to replace some power its failed $19 billion nuclear plant was to supply in buying a Gaston natural gas operation.

Addison said SCE&G will not charge its ratepayers for the acquisition but will charge for the Gaston plant’s operating costs.

If the PSC denies this plan, Addison said in his testimony that SCE&G will offer no rate cuts or refunds to ratepayers in the Toshiba settlement of its Westinghouse Electric company’s failure to complete the nuclear reactor construction.

The Chronicle has asked SCE&G officials to comment on why ratepayers will get so little from any proposal including merger denial.