Freedom of Information Act

"It is vital in a democratic society that public business be performed in an open and public manner so that citizens shall be advised of the performance of public officials and of the decisions that are reached in public activity and in the formulation of public policy." S.C. Code Ann. § 30-4-15.

As a public entity, Santee Cooper is dedicated to complying with the letter and spirit of the South Carolina Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), and makes its public records available pursuant to and subject to the limitations of FOIA.

Information Available Online

Board of Directors meeting schedules, agendas and meeting minutes are available on the Board Meeting Schedules, Agendas and Minutes page.

Financial, environmental, and key facts reports are available on the Publications page.

Press releases and additional information are available on the Newsroom.

Records Request

FOIA requests must be in writing. The request should clearly and specifically describe the records sought, and include detailed identifying information (e.g., names, places and the period of time). Please include contact information in case there are questions regarding the request. Requests should be sent to Santee Cooper’s FOIA Officer via:

Email: foia.request@santeecooper.com

Mail: FOIA Officer
Santee Cooper
P.O. Box 2946101
Moncks Corner, SC 29461-6101

Santee Cooper will respond to the request and produce any non-exempt responsive records, in a mutually convenient format, within the statutory time frames provided by S.C. Code Ann. § 30-4-30. Certain records are exempt from public disclosure pursuant to S.C. Code Ann. § 30-4-40 and will not be provided or will be provided with redactions. If necessary, the FOIA Officer will contact the requestor to coordinate the production or review of the responsive documents.

Fees

Reasonable fees not to exceed the actual costs of searching for, retrieving, redacting, and reproducing records requested under FOIA will be charged in accordance with S.C. Code Ann. § 30-4-30.

These fees are subject to change at any time without notice.

Labor Fees

Description	Fee/Hour
Research, Retrieval and Redaction	$ 20.00*
Convert Documents to Electronic Format (performed at Santee Cooper’s discretion)	$ 12.50
Deposit	25% of estimated costs

*Labor fees are based upon the minimum hourly wage of the lowest paid positions which, in Santee Cooper’s reasonable discretion, have the necessary skill and training to respond to basic FOIA requests. FOIA requests requiring a higher level of skill and training to respond will incur higher hourly labor rates.

Reproduction Fees

Copy Type	Paper Size	Price/Sheet
Black & White	8.5” x 11”	$ 0.02
Black & White	8.5” x 14”	$ 0.02
Black & White	11” x 17”	$ 0.03
Color	8.5” x 11”	$ 0.11
Color	8.5” x 14”	$ 0.12
Color	11” x 17”	$ 0.13
Encrypted USB 4GB	$ 17.50/USB	$ 17.50/USB
Compact Disc	$ 0.80/CD	$ 0.80/CD

Reproduction fees do not apply to records which exist in electronic format and will be electronically transmitted. If electronic records are too large to send or receive by email, an additional charge for the actual cost of the media (e.g. USB or CD) used to produce the electronic information will be assessed.

OBTAINING OR USING PERSONAL INFORMATION OBTAINED FROM A STATE AGENCY FOR COMMERCIAL SOLICITATION IS PROHIBITED PURSUANT TO S.C. CODE ANN. § 30-2-50. VIOLATORS ARE SUBJECT TO CRIMINAL PROSECUTION.