Horry Electric Cooperative, Santee Cooper, and Horry County Schools announce the formation of the Green Power Solar Schools program with Aynor Middle School being named a Green Power Solar School.

The Green Power Solar Schools initiative is designed to encourage interest in the environment and demonstrate the feasibility and limitations of renewable power generation. Each Green Power Solar School receives a 2-kilowatt solar power system, which will provide a teaching, research, and hands-on demonstration opportunity for students. The project uses a new renewable energy curriculum designed especially for the program that meets state science standards. Each school program is supplemented by an Internet-based monitoring system that provides real-time access to information on the system’s performance as well as other solar schools in South Carolina.

“Horry Electric Cooperative is excited to be a partner in this innovative renewable energy program. We have a rich history of being a part of the communities we serve and we can’t think of a better way to continue that tradition of service than to enrich the educational experience of young people through Green Power Solar Schools,” said Pat Howle, Horry Electric Cooperative executive vice president and CEO.  “We know that Aynor Middle School and the community will benefit from this partnership.”

Green Power Solar Schools represents one way that Santee Cooper and the state’s 20 electric cooperatives promote renewable energy, and it fulfills Santee Cooper’s commitment to reinvest Green Power funds back into renewable resources across South Carolina. In September 2001, Santee Cooper became the first electric utility in the state to generate and offer Green Power to its customers from methane gas collected at the Horry County Solid Waste Authority Landfill near Conway. Since then, two additional landfills in Lee and Richland counties have opened, as has the 16-kilowatt solar installation at Coastal Carolina University.  Another landfill methane gas generating site has been announced in Georgetown County.  Santee Cooper, all 20 electric cooperatives and The City of Georgetown market Green Power to their customers.

"Renewable energy exploration and conservation are important ways to help meet the growing electricity needs in our state.  Green Power Solar Schools continues our environmental leadership and challenges the next generation to think differently about future energy sources,” said Lonnie Carter, president and chief executive officer of Santee Cooper.

“Exposing our young people to the latest technology is a critical component of teaching and learning in our ever-changing world. This project combines the use of technology with a relevant and exciting science curriculum to engage students as they explore the energy challenges we face today,” said Dr. Bobby Nalley, acting superintendent of Horry County Schools.