A. Berl Davis Jr. President and Chief Executive Officer Driving opportunity

June 1, 2026

A Heartfelt “thank you” goes out to the 4,477 members who registered and voted at this year’s Annual Meeting.

“Driving Opportunity” was this year’s theme and focused on the ways Palmetto Electric continues to invest in the communities we serve. The business meeting, livestreamed online, highlighted economic development efforts from the past year designed to strengthen the local economy, attract new investments, generate jobs and improve the overall quality of life for our members.

 

  • Through Utility Tax Credits and our partnership with the South Carolina Power Team, Palmetto Electric provided funding to industries across southern Beaufort, Hampton and Jasper counties in 2025, including TS Conductor, the Southern Carolina Industrial Campus, TICO Manufacturing and the Don Ryan Center.

  • Last year, $606,405 in Operation Round Up funds, administered through Palmetto Electric Trust, supported a variety of organizations and individuals who needed assistance, including providing $39,150 in Bright Ideas grants to 44 local teachers. Since its inception in 1989, Operation Round Up has given back more than $11.2 million.

  • As a not-for-profit cooperative, we work diligently to provide safe and reliable electricity at the lowest reasonable cost, but unfortunately, some factors were out of our control last year. In January 2025, the co-op implemented a necessary rate adjustment due to higher equipment, material and wholesale power costs, as well as the expiration of the Santee Cooper rate freeze.

  • To help offset rising costs, we focused on managing controllable expenses and promoting programs that allow members to take the lead in reducing energy use such as H2O Select, Smart Thermostat and Beat The Peak. MyEnergy Online provides the tools necessary to help members manage their energy use while in-person home energy audits can identify additional ways for members to lower their energy consumption.

  • In 2025, we expanded PalmettoLink’s broadband service, further improving electric system resiliency while delivering high-speed internet to underserved areas. The co-op also returned approximately $3.2 million in Capital Credits and was recognized as one of South Carolina’s “Best Places to Work.”

  • Board of Directors incumbents David C. Howard (Beaufort County, Position 3), Carolyn Grant (Beaufort County, Position 6), Greg Cook (Hampton County, Position 3), and Dr. Earl Bostick, Sr. (Jasper County, Position 3) all ran unopposed and were re-elected. Board officers elected included Jeremiah E. Vaigneur, chairman; D. Terrell Smith, vice-chairman; and Carolyn Grant, secretary-treasurer.

This year’s grand prize winner was Jeredean Chance of Bluffton. She won the 2017 Ford Explorer.

Although 2025 was a year marked by rising costs, rapid growth and an evolving energy landscape, we remain focused on the pillars on which we were founded: reliability, safety, service and affordability.

ABD-SIG-1-300x114.jpg.

A. Berl Davis Jr.

President and CEO