Santee Cooper names Keith Smith manager at Rainey Generating Station
November 16, 2011
MONCKS CORNER, SC – November 15, 2011 – Keith Smith has been named manager of Santee Cooper’s Rainey Generating Station, a 961-megawatt natural gas-fired plant in Anderson County.
Smith, a 13-year Santee Cooper veteran, was promoted from superintendent of maintenance at Rainey, where he has worked since 2007. Prior to that, Smith was mechanical maintenance supervisor at Santee Cooper’s Jefferies Generating Station in Berkeley County. Smith also worked for 10 years at Westinghouse Power Generation in various capacities, including manufacturing and field service support.
Smith takes over from Dickie Thorndyke, who was recently named manager of Santee Cooper’s 2,300-MW Cross Generating Station. Smith will supervise a staff of about 45 employees at Rainey.
“We have a tremendous amount of confidence in Keith and wish him well in his new position,” said Phil Pierce, Santee Cooper senior vice president of generation. “As natural gas prices have fallen, Rainey has become increasingly important to our generation mix and we expect this more prominent role to continue.”
Smith is a 1984 graduate of Clemson University, where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in mechanical engineering.
About Santee Cooper
Santee Cooper is South Carolina’s state-owned electric and water utility, and the state’s largest power producer. The ultimate source of electricity for 2 million South Carolinians, Santee Cooper is dedicated to being the state’s leading resource for improving the quality of life for the people of South Carolina. For more information, visit www.santeecooper.com.
