Energy Companies Agree to Settle Fraud Charges Stemming From Failed Nuclear Power Plant Expansion

The Securities and Exchange Commission today announced that SCANA Corp. and its subsidiary South Carolina Electric & Gas Co. (SCE&G) have agreed to settle the SEC’s lawsuit charging them with defrauding investors by making false and misleading statements about a nuclear power plant expansion that was ultimately abandoned. The proposed settlement, which remains subject to court approval, would require SCANA to pay a $25 million penalty, and SCANA and SCE&G to pay $112.5 million in disgorgement plus prejudgment interest. The SEC’s complaint filed in February 2020 alleged that SCANA, SCE&G, and two former senior executives misled investors by claiming that a project to build two nuclear units would qualify the company for more than $1 billion in tax credits when they knew the project was far behind schedule and therefore unlikely to qualify for the tax credits.