Hammered by public criticism following a temporary 44% rate hike passed along to consumers because late January was cold, the CNNGA Board convenes tomorrow night in Newberry to, presumably, discuss what went wrong.
The South Carolina Attorney General has asked for an explanation letter, so he knows what to tell the massive number of people from Laurens and Newberry counties calling to ask for a price-gouging probe.
The Authority - which is owned and governed jointly by the Cities of Clinton and Newberry, but has reach into communities like Whitmire and Cross Hill - has offered affected customers the option of “spreading out” the dramatically higher January/February bills over installments in the next 6 months. To get the option, customers have to travel to one of the two CNNGA offices to sign paperwork.
Price-weary consumers say, however, that’s not much of an option, because they would have to pay their current month’s bill PLUS the “catch-up” costs from the ice storm and the snow storm of late January. CNNGA has said customers likely will get “a break” in February because the weather has been milder (although the Feb. 23 morning low temperature was 26 degrees, part of the southern end of a nor’easter that has blanketed New York and Pennsylvania in snow).
“The big thing going around now is that we ran out of gas,” said CNNGA General Manager Jimmy Capps. “That is not true.”
He said the Authority also did not have to buy “emergency” gas.
Instead, when CNNGA realized it needed more natural gas and went to its suppliers, it found the price that normally was $6 per dekatherm, now was $97 per dekatherm. CNNGA had no other option than to pass that cost through to customers. A Post & Courier, Charleston/Upstate, newspaper article about the situation indicated, however, that other utilities have decided to spread out the cost over the next few months for all customers. The City of Clinton, when it sells electricity, has a Rate Stabilization Fund it can tap when power-costs surge, so that the entire burden does not fall all at once on customers - it is unclear if CNNGA has a Rate Stabilization Fund.
It’s part of a national trend, a CNN on-line report has said; average Americans paying more in fossil-fuel costs to stay warm this winter, adding to already stressed household budgets. Widows and single-moms with kids already have responded to social media comments about CNNGA’s pass-through that they have received family help or are asking, on-line, for help in meeting the January-February costs of staying warm passed along by CNNGA.
The Office of Attorney General Alan Wilson, who is a candidate for Governor, wants answers by March 6. A spokesman already has said, however, there is nothing they can do - it’s not “price-gouging” because it is a cost pass-through and CNNGA is not a utility supervised by the State; it is a function of local government, accountable to local government.
Still, Wilson needs information so he can answer to Clinton and Newberry voters. His office’s Feb. 17 letter to Clinton Mayor Randy Randall sent to the CNNGA’s Newberry post office box says:
“The Attorney General’s Office has received a number of complaints from constituents regarding recent price increases for natural gas through the Clinton Newberry Natural Gas Authority (CNNGA) as a consequence of the severe weather events occurring this winter. These complaints noted surprising energy bills substantially higher than in previous months without prior notification from CNNGA. My team has reviewed those complaints carefully along with CNNGA’s bulletin “A Message to Our Consumer and Community” published on February 11, 2026.
“In order for me to respond to these constituents who have taken the time to contact our Office and share their thoughts and concerns, I need to better understand CNNGA’s decision to increase natural gas rates, including CNNGA’s awareness of supply disruptions and increased demand. I would also like to hear from CNNGA on how it is responding to its consumers who have difficulty in paying these higher rates. Please provide this office with a narrative as well as any relevant documentation which CNNGA relied on in concluding that a rate increase of this magnitude was necessary. Please respond by Friday, March 6, 2026. If you have any questions regarding this letter, please do not hesitate to contact my Office.”
The CNNGA Board will hold its regular February meeting this Thursday, 6 p.m. in the Firehouse Conference Center, beside the Opera House, in downtown Newberry. The meetings normally are held the 4th Tuesday of the month, but the board already had decided to have this meeting on a Thursday. As a receiver and spender of public money, CNNGA governing board meetings are open to the public under the South Carolina Freedom of Information Act. They can’t discuss issues in closed-to-the-public executive sessions except in narrowly defined areas of personnel, legal advice, or trade secrets.
In addition to his letter, AG Wilson posted, “South Carolinians deserve transparency and accountability, especially when families are facing rising utility costs. After hearing concerns from consumers, I sent a letter to the (CNNGA) seeking answers. Ratepayers should not be left guessing. Protecting South Carolina families and ensuring fairness will always be my priority.”
