Join us for an afternoon workshop for local elected officials, local planning staff, planning commissioners, and members of boards of zoning appeals to build practical knowledge of utility-scale clean energy technologies, community considerations, and local planning tools.
Workshop Agenda
Sign-In & Networking (12:30 – 1:00 p.m.)
Welcome (1:00 p.m.)
Workshop introduction and overview of C-DASH.
Session 1: South Carolina's Energy Landscape
Explore how South Carolina plans to meet growing energy demand and support economic growth. This session covers the roles of state policies and agencies in energy project siting and the project lifecycle, as well as the utility's responsibility to meet demand and where clean energy technologies fit into that picture.
Session 2: Wind, Solar, and Battery Storage 101
Get an overview of utility-scale wind, solar, and battery energy storage systems (BESS), including:
How each technology works
Typical project development timelines
Siting considerations such as location, land use, and environmental factors
Economic impacts and workforce opportunities
Health and safety
Project examples from South Carolina and the Southeast
Break
Session 3: Planning Ahead with Clean Energy Ordinances
Learn how local governments can plan proactively for clean energy development, rather than react to individual project proposals, by adopting ordinances and prioritizing community engagement. This session reviews model solar, wind, and battery storage ordinances, including siting standards, permitting and application processes, health and safety provisions, and decommissioning requirements, along with the reasoning behind each component. Time for Q&A is included.
Session 4: Developer and Community Perspectives
Understand how developers select sites, work with local governments, and have best practices for successful development. Hear lessons learned from the local planning perspective on a nearby solar project.
Break
Session 5: Roundtable Discussion
Join an open conversation on the day's topics. Participants will have an opportunity to discuss current and anticipated issues, zoning and ordinance challenges, what is working in their communities, and where additional technical assistance may be needed.
End (5:00 p.m.)
Registration is required.
Registration will be open October 1-30.
This is a free workshop, but space is limited.
3.0 CEC available.
Evening Community Session
An evening community session will also be held after the workshop from 5:30 PM-6:30 PM. Workshop attendees are invited to stay for this community session. This educational session is open to the broader community to learn about clean energy technologies and ordinance development, including a Q&A. Registration is not required, but is welcome. See here for more details.