South Carolina’s energy future being re-written, Greens will participate

At the recent Green Party national convention the delegates decided that energy would be part of our focus over the next year. This has been an important decision for us here in South Carolina.

The state’s electric suppliers have proposed building four new nuclear power plants. Two are proposed near Jenkinsville, and two near Gaffney.

In addition, utilities have proposed a coal burning power plant near Florence. Recently Santee Cooper, the utility, decided to cancel their plans to build this coal burner.

Duke Energy has filed a rate increase request with the South Carolina Public Service Commission to pay for new nuclear power plants, the Cliffside Coal power plant in Rutherford County, NC, and to provide higher returns to their stockholders, according to their statements to the press.

The South Carolina Green Party state convention authorized the steering committee to file an intervention with the Public Service Commission against the Duke proposal.

Text of South Carolina Green Party v South Carolina State Election Commission, 3:08-cv-02790.

As reported on Ballot Access News on August 13, 2009:

On August 12, U.S. District Court Judge Cameron McGowan Currie, a Clinton appointee, upheld South Carolina election laws that permit fusion, but which also say that if someone gets the nomination of one party first, and later tries to get the nomination of a second party and fails, then the first nomination is voided. South Carolina Green Party v South Carolina State Election Commission, 3:08-cv-02790.

LINK to PDF: 107-Opinion-and-Order

ACLU attorneys representing Eugene Platt and the South Carolina Green Party filed an appeal one day after the unfavorable ruling was handed down.

Thanks to Ballot Access News for posting the complete PDF of the order.

Minutes from the 2008 SC Green Party Convention

The South Carolina Green Party held its Annual Convention on August 8, 2009 at the  Black Caucus Community Center, 2523 Read Street, Columbia, SC.

The meeting was pleasant and productive.  There is a definite uptick in activity within the party and the attendees were optimistic going into 2010.

Join Us at the Green Party State Convention on August 8th!

THE SC GREEN PARTY BULLETIN

Volume 7 No. 2 – August 1, 2009

http://www.scgreenparty.org

FEATURES:

(1) JOIN US AT THE ANNUAL STATE CONVENTION ON AUGUST 8th

(2) AGENDA FOR STATE CONVENTION

(3) NOMINEES ANNOUNCED FOR STEERING COMMITTEE ELECTIONS

(4) MAKE YOUR 2009 MEMBERSHIP CONTRIBUTION

CONTINUING:

(A) LOCAL UPDATES

(B) VOLUNTEER FOR A STATE OR NATIONAL COMMITTEE

(C) RECRUIT NEW MEMBERS

(D) JOIN OUR DISCUSSION FORUM

(E) CONTACT INFORMATION FOR SCGP STEERING COMMITTEE

(F) GREEN PARTY OFFICE-HOLDERS

(G) ABOUT THE SC GREEN PARTY BULLETIN

Post & Courier: “Green Heroes”

The Charleston Post & Courier published the following letter to the editor by SCGP Steering Committee member Eugene Platt published in the Sunday, August 2, 2009 edition.  Mr. Platt is an elected member of the James Island Public Service Commission.

‘Green’ heroes

With so much ongoing environmental degradation in South Carolina and around the world, it was refreshing to read the “Green corridor” story in your July 28 edition. This story describes some of the efforts and encouraging progress to protect miles of pristine land along the Four Holes Swamp.

The story mentions two environmental heroes: Norman Brunswig, executive director of Audubon South Carolina, and Will Haynie, executive director of the Lowcountry Open Land Trust.

Reading it brought to mind one of the Ten Key Values of the Green Party: personal and global responsibility. “We encourage individuals to act to improve their personal well-being and, at the same time, to enhance ecological balance and social harmony. We seek to join with people and organizations around the world to foster peace, economic justice and the health of the planet.”

Mr. Brunswig and Mr. Haynie do much more than most of us “to enhance ecological balance . . . and the health of the planet.” They deserve our appreciation and are to be commended.

Eugene Platt
Member, Steering Committee
South Carolina Green Party
Gilmore Court
Charleston