LPPC President Tom Falcone & President/CEO of Santee Cooper Jimmy Staton Share Perspectives on Large Loads at The Bond Buyer's Southeast Public Finance Conference

LPPC President Tom Falcone and President/CEO Jimmy Staton of Santee Cooper joined Dan Hartman of PFM, Mark Widener of Mesa Power Solutions, and William Oh of Moody's Ratings at the The Bond Buyer's Southeast Public Finance Conference.

With investors, rating analysts, and the broader public finance community at the table, the core issue was clear: growth has to pay for growth.

The panel, "Powering the Region: How AI Data Center Growth is Impacting the Southeast," discussed how AI and data center growth are reshaping electric infrastructure and utility finance.With investors, rating analysts, and the broader public finance community in the room, the core issue was clear: "growth has to pay for growth."

Public power utilities can support AI, data centers, and economic development, but not by shifting costs and risks to existing customers. That requires reforms to U.S. Department of the Treasury's private use rules, disciplined planning, credible load forecasts, real customer commitments, and infrastructure investment grounded in reliability and affordability.