MONCKS CORNER, S.C. - Orangeburg County educators Kristen Ecklar, Jenny Thompson, Sandra Smith, Catherine Lee, Valerie Funchess and George Landrum Jr. participated in the Santee Cooper Energy Educators Institute this summer.

The educators learned about the challenges and new technology affecting the electric industry while enjoying a four-day stay at Wampee Conference Center in Pinopolis, S.C.

A total of 79 teachers, principals and administrators from all grade levels participated in this session to receive planning materials and earn graduate credit.

The Energy Educator's Institute is conducted annually by the state-owned electric and water utility based in Moncks Corner, with a total of three seminars conducted each summer.

Santee Cooper employees shared their expertise, addressing topics such as power generation, transmission, distribution, electrical safety, water quality, utility economics, energy efficiency and conservation, renewable energy and environmental resources.

Ecklar, Thompson and Lee teach at Lockett Elementary School in Branchville and Smith, Landrum and Funchess teach at Branchville High School in Branchville.

The Orangeburg educators also toured Santee Cooper's Jefferies Generating Station in Moncks Corner and took part in hands-on learning activities and field trips to places like the Old Santee Canal Park in Moncks Corner and the Alcoa Mt. Holly aluminum plant in Goose Creek, a Santee Cooper industrial customer.

Santee Cooper serves more than 160,000 residential and commercial customers in Berkeley, Georgetown and Horry counties. The utility also generates the power distributed by the state's 20 electric cooperatives to more than 685,000 customers in all 46 counties.

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