Santee Cooper extends power deal with Century Aluminum

In a service agreement between the two, Santee Cooper and Century Aluminum have extended Century’s Mount Holly aluminum smelter additional power supply until 2031. 

“Century Aluminum is a major contributor to economic prosperity in Berkeley County and the entire Charleston region, and they are playing a leading role in regenerating America’s aluminum industry,” Jimmy Staton, Santee Cooper president and CEO, said in a news release. “Santee Cooper is proud to be the power behind Century, supporting the quality products they produce, the important contributions they make to our community, and the quality jobs they provide to our neighbors. We’re pleased to be part of this expansion and look forward to working together for many more years.” 

Through the deal, Century will be able to open an idled pipeline to increase plant capacity by 25% and add 100 additional high-paying jobs to Charleston, the release said.  

“I would like to thank the entire Santee Cooper team for their efforts in reaching this power extension to allow us to restart the idle capacity at Mount Holly,” Jesse Gary, Century Aluminum CEO, said in the release. “We are excited to continue our relationship as we increase economic opportunity and prosperity for South Carolinians together.” 

Santee Cooper has provided electricity to the Berkeley County plant since its beginning in 1980. According to the release, the power provider sources electricity for 2 million people across South Carolina.