United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
State Incentives for Achieving Clean and Renewable
Energy Development on Contaminated Lands
The development of clean and renewable energy on formerly used land offers many economic and environmental benefits. Combining clean and renewable energy and
contaminated land cleanup incentives can allow investors and communities to create economically viable clean and renewable energy redevelopment projects. This
document provides information about incentives in your state that can be leveraged for clean and renewable energy and development of contaminated land.
Incentives for Clean and Renewable Energy
Funding (grants, loans, bonds, etc.)
Renewable Energy Grant Program
www. energy, sc. gov/index. aspx?m=29&t= 90&h=405
These programs are currently suspended, pending review in the 2009
Legislative Session.
Planning Grants
Provides up to $10,000 to develop proposals to obtain federal grants
and other funding for biomass, solar, and wind energy projects.
Matching Grants
Provides matching grants up to $200,000 for research and
development projects with biomass, solar, and wind energy resources
that validate the effectiveness of new and future biomass technologies
and products; the grant should not exceed 50% of the total project cost.
Renewable Energy Revolving Loan Program
www. energy, sc. gov/index. aspx?m=29&t= 90&h=404
Provides low-interest loans for up to 50% of the total cost of a project and a
maximum of $250,000 to an individual or organization that plans to build a
qualified renewable energy production facility.
Biomass Energy Production Incentive
www.scstatehouse.net/sess117_2007-2008/bills/243.htm
Provides production incentives up to $100,000 per taxpayer for qualifying
biomass-energy facilities of $0.01 per kWh for electricity generated and
$0.09 per therm for methane gas produced from biomass resources.
Tax Incentives (abatements, credits, deductions, etc.)
Biomass Energy Tax Credit
www.scstatehouse.net/sess117_2007-2008/bills/243.htm
Provides a 25% corporate tax credit for costs incurred for the use of landfill
methane gas to provide power for a manufacturing facility. Also provides a credit
against income tax and/or license fees for 25% of the costs incurred for the
purchase and installation of equipment used to create energy for commercial
use from a fuel consisting of at least 90% biomass resources. Maximum annual
credit of $650,000 per facility, not to exceed 50% of tax liability.
Tax Credit for Solar Equipment
www.energy.sc.gov/publications/SOLAR_CREDITS.pdf
Provides a 25% state income tax credit of the cost of solar equipment used
for heating water, space heating, air cooling, or the generation of electricity.
Sales Tax Exemption for Hydrogen Fuel Cells
www. scstatehouse. net/code/t 12c036.htm
Provides a sales tax exemption for any device, equipment or machinery
that is: 1) operated by hydrogen or fuel cells; 2) used to generate, produce,
or distribute hydrogen and designated specifically for hydrogen
applications or for fuel cell applications; and 3) used for the manufacturing
of, or research and development involving hydrogen or fuel cells.
Technical Assistance and Other Incentives
Renewable Energy One-Stop Shop
www. energy, sc. gov/index. aspx?m=6&t= 92
Assists renewable energy businesses interested in locating in South
Carolina through collaboration between state and federal agencies and key
stakeholders.
Green Power Purchasing
www.energy.sc.gov/publications/SOLAR_CREDITS.pdf
The following companies purchase clean energy including solar, biofuel,
and wind power: Santee Cooper www.santeecoopergreen.com;
PACE www.palmettocleanenergy.org.
Net Metering
www. energy, sc. gov/index. aspx?m=6&t= 99
In May 2008, the South Carolina Public Service Commission (PSC) issued
a directive that required investor-owned electric utilities to offer net
metering to its customers beginning July 1,2008. Each utility has proposed
its own net metering program. Both Duke Energy and Progress Energy limit
customer generation to 0.2% of the previous year's aggregate peak demand.
Progress Energy has two net metering programs: the first requires customers
to use a time-of-use tariff; the second charges customers an annual fee to net
meter. Santee Cooper, a state-owned utility, began a pilot net billing program
in fall 2007. The electric cooperatives, which purchase power from Santee
Cooper, announced a pilot net metering program in February 2008.
Quick Facts
Public Benefit Fund (PBF)
Renewable Portfolio Standard
Net Metering
Interconnection Standards
Yes D No 0
Yes D No 0
Yes 0 No D
Yes 0 No D
Electric Power Industry Generation by
Primary Energy Source (EIA, 2006)
Petroleum 0.3% Hydroelectric 1.8%
Natural Gas 6.1% Other Renewables 1.9%
Coal 39.8% Pumped Storage -1.1%
Nuclear 51.2% Other 0.1%
Points of Contact
All South Carolina Energy Incentives and Programs
Erika Hartwig, ehartwig@energy.sc.gov, (803) 737-7951
Information current as of November 2008; please refer to www.dsireusa.org and the state Web sites
provided, or contact the points of contact identified above for more up to date information.
South Carolina Incentives for Clean and Renewable Energy - Page 1
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Incentives for Development of Contaminated Land
Funding (grants, loans, bonds, etc.)
Brownfields Cleanup Revolving Loan Fund
www.scdhec.gov/environment/lwm/forms/BCRLF_Fact_Sheet.pdf
Provides low-interest loans at two points below prime rate for
environmental cleanup, through a U.S. EPA grant. Members of the
coalition partnership (consisting of the Counties of Abbeville, Anderson,
Greenville, Kershaw, and Spartanburg; the Towns of Bluffton, Cowpens,
Johnston, Lyman, Ware Shoals, and Yemassee; and the Cities of
Anderson and Greenville) currently have specific amounts available to
them for cleanup. Other local governments, businesses, nonprofit
organizations, and public and private parties are eligible to apply if they are
not responsible parties for the site being remediated.
South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental
Control (DHEC) Site Specific Assessments
www.epa.gov/brownfields/pubs/bf_states_r4.pdf
Conducts a limited number of site-specific assessments through an EPA
grant at selected and EPA-approved sites that are publicly owned or have
strong local government support for redevelopment.
Dry Cleaning Restoration Trust Fund
www.sc.gov/NewsCenter/DHEC/nr20060925-02.htm
Provides funding for assessment and remediation activities performed by
DHEC at participating dry cleaning plants that meet specific eligibility
criteria specified by law. The maximum payout is $1,000,000.
State Underground Petroleum Environmental Response Bank
(SUPERB) Account and SUPERB Financial Responsibility
Fund
www.scdhec.net/environment/lwm/forms/d-3472.pdf
Provides funding for usual and customary costs for site rehabilitation of
underground storage tank (UST) releases to UST owners or operators. The
SUPERB Financial Responsibility fund is used for compensating third
parties for actual costs for injury and property damage caused by a
petroleum release. These two state assurance funds provide a combined
maximum of $1 million per eligible occurrence to cover these costs after
payment of the $25,000 deductible established by the SUPERB Act.
Tax Incentives (abatements, credits, deductions, etc.)
Voluntary Cleanup Program Tax Incentives
www.scdhec.gov/environment/lwm/HTML/brownfields.htm
Provides the following tax incentives to non-responsible parties that meet
Voluntary Cleanup Program requirements: 1) a state corporate income tax
credit of 50% of expenses paid and accrued in performing a voluntary
cleanup, up to $50,000 in a taxable year, plus an unused credit up to
$100,000 may be carried forward for five years—an additional credit of
10% of cleanup costs (not to exceed $50,000) is allowed in the year that
the cleanup is certified; 2) a $1,000 jobs tax credit in addition to the
established job tax credit; 3) up to a five-year property tax exemption with
county concurrence; and 4) fees in lieu of property taxes for eligible
cleanups that exceed a cost of $1 million.
Limitations on Liability
www.scdhec.gov/environment/lwm/HTML/brownfields.htm
Provides state Superfund liability protection, contribution protection, and
third party liability protection for non-responsible parties that complete
Voluntary Cleanup Program requirements.
Quick Facts
Limitations on Liability
Yes 0 No D
293
Number of State-Tracked Contaminated Properties:
Includes DHEC Land and Waste Management Public Record sites
Number of EPA CERCLIS Sites: 253
Sites identified for potential investigation under the federal Superfund Program
Number of EPA Brownfields Properties: 100
Properties being funded or addressed under the EPA Brownfields Program
There may be some overlap among the categories listed and sites listed may not
represent all potentially contaminated sites in South Carolina.
Points of Contact
All South Carolina Cleanup Incentives and Programs
Robert Hodges, hodgesrf@dhec.sc.gov, (803) 896-4069
Information current as of November 2008; please refer to
www.epa.gov/brownfields/pubs/st_res_prog_report.htm and the state Web sites provided,
or contact the points of contact identified above for more up to date information.
South Carolina Incentives for Development of Contaminated Land - Page 2
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