The Latest: Top SC prosecutor wants in nuke plant rate case

The Latest on the failure of a multibillion-dollar South Carolina nuclear project (all times local):

4:10 p.m.

South Carolina's top prosecutor wants state regulators to let him intervene in a case that will determine whether a utility company can continue to bill customers for a failed nuclear project.

Attorney General Alan Wilson on Friday petitioned the Public Service Commission for permission to participate in a proceeding over South Carolina Electric & Gas Co. charging its customers for the scuttled V.C. Summer project.

Costs associated with the abandoned project currently account for 18 percent of SCE&G customers' bills. The state agency that represents the public interest in utility cases has asked the commission to force SCE&G to stop billing customers for the failure.

SCE&G wants the request dismissed. Wilson says he hasn't formulated his decision on the proceeding but is sworn to "seek to protect the rights" of South Carolina citizens, including SCE&G's more than 700,000 ratepayers.

___

1:40 p.m.

Board members of South Carolina's state-owned utility have met to discuss appointing an interim CEO after the failure of a multibillion-dollar nuclear power project, but made no decision.

Santee Cooper board members met Friday but took no action on a temporary replacement for Lonnie Carter, who announced his impending retirement last month. He remains the only executive involved with the scuttled project to leave.

The public utility and private South Carolina Electric & Gas abandoned construction July 31 after jointly spending nearly $10 billion and charging customers $2 billion in interest fees since 2009.

Gov. Henry McMaster backs Steve Hamm, the current interim director of the state ethics agency. The governor appoints all of Santee Cooper's board members.

McMaster spokesman Brian Symmes says Hamm will do what's best for customers.