Powering Communities: Upgrading the Grid in Horry County

Conway, South Carolina is a charming river town experiencing rapid growth in population, economic opportunity, and development. However, this expansion also brings some challenges with increased strain on its infrastructure, resulting in a potential for frequent power outages caused by storms, car accidents, and even the occasional wildlife. For Horry County Emergency Management Director Randy Webster, a resilient grid is essential to keep the community safe when storms strike, especially for emergency shelters during hurricane season. These outages can also result in significant inconvenience and disruption to day-to-day life, including for local businesses like Russell Davis's popular barbecue restaurant, Big D's BBQ Trough, which can translate to lost revenue and missed opportunities to provide the community a warm meal.
However, there's good news on the horizon. Thanks to funding from the Department of Energy’s (DOE) Grid Deployment Office (GDO) through the Grid Resilience State and Tribal Formula Grants program. Conway’s utility provider, Horry Electric Cooperative, is upgrading its power grid with automated switches. These new switches will allow for faster power restoration, reducing outages from hours to minutes, and keep the grid balanced during disruptions.