Zero Waste,
Maximum Impact
Our goal is simple but ambitious: zero waste generation across everything we do. It’s good business—and it’s a responsibility we take seriously for the communities we serve.
Walk into our 6,600-square-foot headquarters in Lockhart, and you’ll see our values in action. Those beautiful wooden beams greeting you at the entrance? They are rescued from the old Excelsior Union Mill, giving new life to materials that might have ended up in a landfill. Every wall is painted with locally-made ECOS paints (zero toxic chemicals, zero VOCs), and every light runs on 100% renewable electricity from our hydroelectric plant right next door.
We designed this building to do the work of three separate facilities under one roof. Less footprint, less waste, more efficiency. When you’re serious about environmental stewardship, every square foot counts.
Rivers Never Stop
(And Neither Do We)
For over a century, we’ve been turning the natural flow of South Carolina’s rivers into clean, reliable electricity. Our four run-of river hydroelectric projects on the Broad and Pacolet Rivers serve as examples of how engineering can work in harmony with natural systems.
The Lockhart Hydro Plant has been faithfully generating power since 1920. Through the Roaring Twenties, the Great Depression, two World Wars, and everything since, those turbines have kept spinning. In 2007 and 2013, we expanded our hydroelectric family by acquiring and upgrading the Pacolet River projects, breathing new life into sites where textile mills once hummed.
We also manage the Buzzards Roost project for Greenwood County—when it comes to clean energy, strong partnerships make all the difference.
One Company’s Waste
is Our Renewable Resource
Here’s something that might surprise you: we’re sort of in the garbage business.
Our Wellford Renewable Energy (WREN) facility takes methane gas that would otherwise escape from the Spartanburg County landfill and converts it into clean electricity. It’s a perfect example of finding opportunity where others see problems and turning environmental challenges into environmental solutions.
Since 2011, WREN has been proving that innovation and environmental responsibility go hand in hand. We even built a six-mile pipeline to supply additional gas to local industry. Why waste waste?
Solar, RECs,
and What's Next
Our 50-acre solar farm in Midway Green Industrial Park represents our next chapter in renewable energy. When you’ve been in the clean energy business for over 100 years, you learn that standing still means falling behind. We’re registered with North Carolina’s Renewable Portfolio Standard to sell Renewable Energy Credits, helping other utilities meet their clean energy goals. And we’re actively pursuing new cost-effective renewable opportunities. The best time to invest in tomorrow’s energy was yesterday, but the second-best time is today.
Dive Deeper into Clean Energy
Want to learn more out about hydroelectric power? Check out these resources:
- U.S. Energy Information Administration Hydropower Basics
- National Hydropower Association Conventional Hydropower Information
Curious about our complete energy portfolio and future planning? Our 2023 Integrated Resource Plan has all the details