Facing uncertain future, Santee Cooper to pick retired Arizona utility exec as next CEO

COLUMBIA, SC -- Santee Cooper will hire a retired public power utility executive from Arizona as its next CEO, The State has learned.

Mark Bonsall, who retired as general manager and CEO of the Salt River Project in May 2018, will be hired to an 18-month contract at a board meeting next Tuesday, Santee Cooper board chairman Dan Ray confirmed to The State in an exclusive interview.

Bonsall will be entrusted to lead Santee Cooper through an era of uncertainty after the state-owned utility lost $4 billion on the failed expansion of the V.C. Summer nuclear power plant in Fairfield County.

Chosen for his experience from a field of nearly a dozen candidates, Bonsall will be tasked with overseeing top-to-bottom reform of the state agency, even as lawmakers consider selling Santee Cooper in order to offload its debt.

Read more: https://www.thestate.com/news/politics-government/article232253027.html