Charleston Approves Utility Franchise Agreements
City Council approved new franchise deals with Dominion Energy South Carolina and Berkeley Electric Cooperative, updating how power lines are placed underground.
Updated on Nov. 11, 2026 in Utilities
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Charleston City Council approved franchise agreements with Dominion Energy South Carolina and Berkeley Electric Cooperative, giving the utilities the right to provide electric and gas service in the city. The agreements do not raise customer rates and update the process for undergrounding power lines.
Why it matters
The deals set terms for how utility infrastructure is built and maintained in Charleston for years to come. Residents' concerns during public meetings led the mayor to delay finalizing the agreement before council approval.
Dominion must contribute half a percent of its Charleston revenue each year to an undergrounding fund, which the city matches, under agreements with an initial 20-year term that can be extended by 10 years. The dollar totals of the fund and the cost of projects were not provided.
The players
Dominion Energy South Carolina
The state's largest electric and gas utility, which serves customers across much of South Carolina including Charleston.
Berkeley Electric Cooperative
A member-owned electric cooperative serving customers in Berkeley County and parts of the Charleston area.
The details
Council members questioned the companies during a special meeting on Oct. 26, and residents raised concerns at an Oct. 27 meeting, prompting Mayor William Cogswell to postpone finalizing the deal. City attorney Julia Copeland negotiated the agreement over a year, and the city collected feedback through a newsletter form and posted Dominion's responses online before council approved the agreements on Nov. 10.
Timeline
Oct. 26, 2026: Council questioned Dominion and Berkeley Electric in a special meeting.
Oct. 27, 2026: Residents raised concerns and the mayor delayed finalizing the agreement.
Nov. 3, 2026: The city distributed a newsletter with a resident feedback form.
Nov. 10, 2026: City Council approved the franchise agreements.
Summer 2027: Current franchise agreements expire and the new ones take effect.
Market Landscape
The Charleston deals follow the standard municipal franchise model, in which cities grant utilities access to public rights-of-way in exchange for a share of revenue. The added undergrounding fund and deadline for stalled projects build on that model by directing utility money toward reducing exposed storm-prone lines.
The agreements do not change the rates customers pay for electric and gas service in Charleston. Residents can expect the undergrounding priority list to be updated under the new deadline rules, which determines where power lines may be moved below ground.
The takeaway
Franchise agreements set long-term rules for utilities, so local feedback during public review can shape how infrastructure is built and paid for. Residents who want to track changes can watch the city's amendment to the undergrounding ordinance.
What happens next
The city's next step is to amend the ordinance related to undergrounding power lines, and the new franchise agreements take effect when current ones expire next summer.
Further reading
For more on how local power providers operate, see Charleston Utilities coverage.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Post and Courier.
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