Economy + workforce
New life for old coal: Minelands and power plants are hot renewable development spots
PETERSBURG, Ind. — AES Indiana’s Petersburg Generating Station, which towers over the White River here in southwest Indiana, has been burning coal to generate electricity since the late 1960s. That era, though, will come to an end soon. Two of the power plant’s four coal-burning units have already retired and the last is planning to […]
Governor sings Spice Girls hit to explain SC’s economic development approach
WEST COLUMBIA — When it comes to South Carolina’s economic development strategy, Gov. Henry McMaster thinks the Spice Girls explain it best. The 76-year-old Republican governor took to the mic with a sampling of the British girl band’s 1997 chart-topper “Wannabe” during a Tuesday breakfast gathering of the Greater Cayce-West Columbia Chamber of Commerce. When […]
Reliability v. sustainability: Inside the debate over the EPA’s proposed carbon rules
Electric reliability has been a hot topic lately — from congressional hearings to regulatory agencies and at the regional transmission organizations that run the electric grid in much of the country. The American electric grid is undergoing a major change, prodded by state and federal decarbonization policies, market forces pushing cheaper and cleaner forms of […]
Under state deadline, SC employers phase out subminimum wage
COLUMBIA — Angela Greene spent 20 years making as little as pennies an hour for cleaning houses. The Columbia resident worked for a so-called sheltered workshop, which are employers allowed to pay people with disabilities less than minimum wage under a federal waiver. Her biweekly paychecks ranged from 50 cents to $3.50, depending on how […]
$15M effort to train SC students on supercomputers starts at USC
COLUMBIA – A state-funded initiative to train South Carolina college students on a quantum supercomputer for future high-tech, high-paying jobs kicks into gear in January. The newly formed South Carolina Quantum Association will start pairing students and professors with companies seeking industry advancements that only a quantum computer can provide, according to the group’s organizer, […]
Retailers pare back their seasonal hiring to prepare for ho-hum holidays
Black Friday shoppers may notice longer lines and fewer retail associates in some of their favorite stores than in past holiday seasons as retailers scale back seasonal hiring over concerns about consumer spending. JCPenney is hiring 12,000 fewer workers than last year. Macy’s 3,000 fewer. Meanwhile a Walmart executive said the retail giant has been […]
Business groups tout tax credit as way to expand high-paying job opportunities in SC
COLUMBIA — More South Carolinians could earn a paycheck while training for high-paying jobs under legislation business advocacy groups are pushing as a way to reduce the state’s workforce shortage. The state Chamber of Commerce and state Manufacturers Association want the Legislature to expand tax credits for apprenticeship programs. It’s a priority for both groups […]
SC transmission maker announces $500M expansion to serve EV market
GRAY COURT — Laurens County’s largest employer is a German vehicle transmission maker, but electric vehicles don’t need traditional transmissions. That’s why ZF Group’s latest $500 million buildout of its Laurens County facility is so important. The company will add new manufacturing lines, making parts for electric vehicles. As automakers in South Carolina and across […]
A year after devastating winter storm, power plant problems ‘still likely’ in extreme weather
Nearly a year ago, a Christmas weekend storm blasted across the country, forcing utilities to cut electricity to hundreds of thousands of people in parts of the southeastern U.S. after temperatures plunged, demand spiked, large numbers of power plants failed and natural gas supply was strained. As the anniversary approaches of Winter Storm Elliott, a pair […]
SC could spend $496M to move state employees in deal that benefits major donor
COLUMBIA — Legislators gave key approval Tuesday to moving thousands of state agency employees to newer offices outside of downtown Columbia at the cost of hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars that could benefit a major Republican donor. Under the proposal, four agencies along Bull Street in Columbia would move to two office campuses miles […]
More SC companies offering child care benefits to attract workers
PENDLETON — Come fall 2024, a medical device manufacturer in the Upstate will offer on-site child care for its employees with kids not yet in school. Arthrex, a global health care manufacturer that makes devices and implants for orthopedic surgery at its Pendleton plant, will have space for 66 children at the daycare. It’s among […]