Eric Goodwin, Commissioner
I've served as a commissioner for Easley Combined Utilities since 2014. When I first decided I would like the opportunity to be a commissioner, I knew I wanted to serve my community in some capacity. Of the options available (beyond church and civic organizations), I felt the
local utilities board would complement my background in construction and real estate valuation (appraisals). That experience helps me understand the importance of utility availability and its impact on value. The most unexpected part of being a commissioner has been seeing the growth in Easley and its influence on how we plan and forecast maintenance and projects.
What is something that you wish customers knew about Easley Combined Utilities?
Easley Combined Utilities has been around for over 100 years, providing power, water, and sewer services to Easley and the surrounding area. We employ over 80 people, which makes us a large employer for the city. But the biggest thing I wish customers knew about ECU is that we are a part of the Piedmont Municipal Power Agency (PMPA), a joint action agency of 10 Upstate SC cities that own 25% of the Catawba Nuclear Station Unit #2. We OWN our power supply. Many of our customers think they get their power from Duke Energy (an investor-owned provider) or Blue Ridge Electric (a Co-op). We are a publicly owned power provider.
What do you consider the biggest “win” for ECU during your time as a commissioner?
I will give you a “prisoner of the moment” answer and the irony is it was because of a natural disaster. Our biggest win was that when we lost power due to Hurricane Helene, it was restored within a week’s time because of the hard work and dedication of our staff and mutual aid assistance. It showed the strength and resilience of our organization, our employees, and our commitment to our customers and the City of Easley.
Easley is seeing an incredible amount of growth. How have previous projections – and associated planning – enabled ECU to meet the
needs of our community?
We do our best to maintain a good working relationship with the city and this helps us know what and where developments are anticipated to occur. We are well-positioned to meet the growth needs relative to electrical capacity, as well as water capacity. Through PMPA and ownership of the Catawba Nuclear Station, along with our other sources of power, our energy mix is over 90% carbon-free. Our water plant is rated for 18 million gallons a day and we generally run around 10 million gallons a day. Sewer is a constant challenge. We operate three sewer plants and have capacity in a fourth. We continue to look for ways to be more efficient in our operations and anticipate ways we can capture additional capacity to ensure that we have covered the projected growth requirements of the city.
You have a rare Saturday in Easley without anything on the calendar. How do you spend it?
Unfortunately, the days of watching my kids play sports have wound down. I enjoy exercising and after that I would likely be watching sports on television or reading.
About Eric
Eric and his wife Anna have two daughters, Elizabeth and Sally. In his free time, Eric enjoys exercising, reading, and watching sports.
864-306-8596