Berkeley Electric Cooperative will use a new $500,000 grant from Google to install energy-efficient heating and cooling equipment in about 100 low- to moderate-income Berkeley County homes.

The grant follows a $250,000 award in 2025, bringing Google's total contribution to the cooperative to $750,000, according to the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association. The program pairs the co-op's certified energy auditors with Hope Repair, an outreach ministry of Pointe North Church in Moncks Corner.

Berkeley Electric, headquartered in Moncks Corner, is the largest electric cooperative in South Carolina. It serves more than 135,000 member accounts across Berkeley, Charleston and Dorchester counties, according to the cooperative's website.

The grant program targets households in Berkeley County specifically, according to the co-op's Hope Repair grant page.

The first round of funding helped 44 households in 2025. Among them were Russell and Deborah Johnson, co-op members in a manufactured home near Moncks Corner.

"Our inside unit would continuously run all the time. We were paying for the power but no cool air, and it was very hard for us to get comfortable in our home," Russell Johnson said, according to NRECA. Johnson requires supplemental oxygen.

The couple received a ductless mini split and heat pump. They now save an average of $60 a month on their electric bill, NRECA reported.

At each qualifying home, a team led by Berkeley Electric Director of Energy Services Eddie Plowden installs the mini-split systems. The units control temperature in specific rooms without traditional air ducts. They normally cost about $9,000 with installation, but the grant reduces that to about $5,000, according to Libby Roerig, the co-op's director of marketing and communications.

Plowden said the ductless models also improve air quality. "A lot of these homes have inefficient HVACs and ductwork that's either leaky or dirty," Plowden said. "If we can bypass the ductwork, it's not only improving energy efficiency but also improves their environment and safety."

The funding also supports pre-weatherization, health and safety home repairs, and workforce development initiatives, according to a Google data centers page announcing the initial 2025 contribution. Google has operated a data center on Berkeley Electric lines since 2007, and two more are under construction in nearby Dorchester County, NRECA reported.

Hope Repair has been active in Berkeley County since October 2009. Over the past 15 years, volunteer teams have worked on nearly 1,500 homes, contributing roughly $3 million in materials and labor, according to the co-op's grant page.

Deborah Johnson said the new system changed daily life in their home. "When you're trying to get comfortable at night with a small window unit and 110-degree weather, it was horrible," she said. "I don't have to worry about that anymore."

Berkeley County residents who want to check eligibility can email [email protected].