[image-caption title="Rep.%20Duncan%20(right)%20meets%20with%20Bob%20Paulling%2C%20CEO%20of%20Mid-Carolina%20Electric%20Cooperative.%20(Photo%20Courtesy%3A%20Electric%20Cooperatives%20of%20South%20Carolina)" description="%20" image="%2Fremagazine%2Farticles%2FPublishingImages%2Flawmaker-jeffduncan.jpg" /]
Rep. Jeff Duncan has gone out of his way to learn everything he can about electric cooperatives and the power industry, South Carolina co-op leaders say.
The Republican congressman can talk knowledgably about such insider issues as the difference between amorphous and grain-oriented steel in the production of transformer cores, says Keith Avery, president and CEO of Newberry Electric Cooperative.
“You wouldn’t know he’s not part of the industry—that’s how well he’s educated himself,” Avery says. “He’s used his leadership position on the House Energy and Commerce Committee to guide Congress about how to oversee the power industry.”
Duncan serves as chairman of the Subcommittee on Energy, Climate and Grid Security, where he has helped amplify co-ops’ message on the need for reliable, affordable power in a world where demand for electricity is growing.
Last year, he introduced the GRID Act, which would require coordination between the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and any federal agency promulgating a regulation that could threaten the reliability of the bulk power system.
“He’s used that subcommittee chairmanship to bang the drum on reliability,” says Avery Wilks, vice president of communications for the Electric Cooperatives of South Carolina.
Duncan, a member of Laurens Electric Cooperative in the Upstate of South Carolina, has joined NRECA and its members in condemning the Environmental Protection Agency’s power plant rule.
“Mandating more electrification while making it harder to produce electricity is a recipe for disaster,” Duncan declared in a recent press release, adding that the rule “will put Americans at risk of blackouts, energy shortages and higher prices by shutting down reliable energy sources.”
Last September, Duncan invited Bob Paulling, CEO of Lexington-based Mid-Carolina Electric Cooperative, to testify at a subcommittee hearing on threats to reliability.
Paulling says Duncan “understands the problem better than anyone in Congress, and I applaud him for that.”
Mike Couick, president and CEO of the Electric Cooperatives of South Carolina, says Duncan has worked in a bipartisan way to help find commonsense solutions to co-op problems.
In one instance, Duncan worked with Rep. Jim Clyburn, D-S.C., to ensure that co-ops were eligible for loans that allowed small businesses to keep their employees working during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“They got a letter together from the whole South Carolina congressional delegation, and they worked the issue hard,” Couick says. “A number of our co-ops got those loans.”
Duncan, who served in the South Carolina House of Representatives for eight years before his election to Congress, is genuinely interested in how things work and seeks out information from experts, Avery says.
“He has come down here and talked to people in the know so he can better understand the facts on the ground and how it affects everybody,” says Avery, who has known the congressman for about 30 years.
Duncan says he’s “worked with electric cooperatives and countless stakeholders to ensure reliable, affordable and clean energy for Americans.”
“I’ve had a keen interest in energy issues since my time in the South Carolina statehouse, and I’m proud to have continued that work in Congress by pushing back on harmful regulations that hurt grid reliability, amongst other legislative issues.”
“In December of 2022, South Carolina experienced the impact of grid instability as Winter Storm Elliott interrupted service for nearly half a million residents,” he says. “South Carolinians died during this storm. I’m proud to fight for commonsense reforms to protect our grid and ensure reliable power generation to keep the lights on for South Carolinians and all Americans.”
The congressman advocates for an “all-of-the-above” energy strategy and is a strong proponent of small modular nuclear reactors to help meet the demand for power in the future.
“It’s going to be a while until that’s viable, but he’s always looking ahead,” Paulling says. The state’s co-op leaders say they were sad when Duncan, 58, announced in January that he would not seek re-election to an eighth term.
“I’m heartbroken he’s not re-upping,” Paulling says. “He’s been a real champion for co-ops.”
One of the things Avery will remember most about Duncan’s tenure in Congress is something the lawmaker did behind the scenes. Avery asked the congressman if he could honor a 104-year-old World War II vet who lives in Newberry EC’s territory.
“Jeff flew a flag in the vet’s honor over the Capitol, then came to Newberry and sat down with him in the nursing home,” Avery recalls. “He didn’t make a fanfare out of it. It’s just who he is—a very down-to-earth guy. Whoever comes after him is going to have big shoes to fill.”