South Carolina is currently not among the handful of states that allow residents to choose their energy supplier, but that could soon change. The state legislature is weighing a proposal to create a study committee to look at the benefits of residential energy choice.

The battle to grant American consumers a choice in their energy provider is a state-by-state fight, and one that has seen over a dozen individual states find success. In contrast, a handful of other states are ground zero for this push to continue reaching new communities.

As those who fight for the freedom of energy choice know, the ability to choose a power supplier opens doors for individual customers. A single household or commercial entity can evaluate which energy suppliers align most with their needs, whether through lower prices, increased flexibility and personalization in rate structure, a greater presence of renewable energy, or otherwise.

Much of the attention in the realm of energy choice recently has been in the southern United States, with the Energy Freedom Act in the Carolinas, the Florida Supreme Court striking down the energy choice ballot initiative, and the Virginia Energy Reform Act. But as 2020 comes into full swing it has become clear that the Northeast is an integral battleground.

The push to put retail energy choice on the ballot in Florida has been going on for well over a year. With the 2020 election now officially less than a year away, opposition to the grassroots initiative in the Sunshine State is turning up the heat and turning to dirty tricks to stop Floridians from having their say.

In these divided political times and 24-hour news cycles, even previously wonky policy topics have gotten pulled into the partisan fray. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Chairman Neil Chatterjee’s recent comments at an energy industry event on the evolution of energy policy and what it means for the utility sector are a case in point.