The award recognizes iRide, Santee Cooper’s commuter benefits program, as meeting the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s National Standard of Excellence for commuter benefits.
Santee Cooper launched iRide in September 2008 as an employee benefit and another Santee Cooper Green initiative.
The iRide umbrella includes discounted express bus travel between Santee Cooper’s Moncks Corner headquarters and North Charleston and Summerville, where many of its headquarters-based employees live.
iRide also promotes carpooling through a carpool matching computer program, which also allows employees to track their ridesharing and the amount of greenhouse gas emissions they are avoiding. The program is applicable to Santee Cooper employees in all work locations.
“Santee Cooper launched iRide with three goals in mind. We wanted to help employees economically, help the environment and benefit the community around us,” said Glen Brown, vice president of human resource management, who noted that when the bus program started, gas prices were $4 a gallon. “We found an eager vendor in Tri-County Link bus service.
“The company worked with us to develop routes from our Moncks Corner headquarters to population centers in Summerville and North Charleston, which also lets riders connect with CARTA buses and continue into the center city.
“The buses stop at the Berkeley County administration building too, serving another major employer in the area. And we have a commuter lot at the front of our Moncks Corner parking lot, so that residents here can drive to our lot and hop on a bus to work, a doctor’s appointment or other destination in Summerville, North Charleston or Charleston. That’s the community benefit.”
The bus and carpooling options allow Santee Cooper employees to save on gas and wear-and-tear on their vehicles and reduce commuting-related greenhouse gas emissions.
Through May 31, iRide participants have avoided emitting more than 235 tons of greenhouse gases during 1.5 million miles commuted since the program started. Participation in the still-growing program has doubled since December, with 314 employees now riding buses or carpooling.
Santee Cooper is South Carolina’s state-owned electric and water utility, and the state’s largest power producer, supplying electricity to more than 163,000 retail customers in Berkeley, Georgetown, and Horry counties.
