Power transformer shortage impacting housing market

GREENVILLE, S.C. (FOX Carolina) - We hear a lot about the real estate market. Interest rates and high demand can keep a lot of people from buying a home, but now there’s another concern.

If you drive down Miller Road on the East side of Greenville County, you will hear and see the construction of the new Miller Park development. However, you won’t see anyone moving in just yet.

Builder Anthony Kent, President of Cothran Homes, says he started working on the development a year ago.

“We have 106 townhome sites and so we’ve only been able to get the first six going,” said Kent.

He ran into an issue when he couldn’t get Power Transformers delivered to the property.

Kent said, “we were so concerned about things like lumber and appliances, and those all help, but then all of a sudden it was this power transformer you can’t get them.”

He said the problem is twofold. Covid initially kicked started the supply chain issues a few years ago. Now, there is a higher demand for new homes.

“The shortage is a national issue, not just here in Greenville,” said Kent. “We already have a huge housing shortage in our area, and in us United states we’re short by a million homes so without transformers we can’t feed the flow of homes.”

With no power at the site, they’re using generators to build. which adds about twelve thousand dollars to the price of the home.

We did reach out to Duke Energy, which provides the transformers to Miller Park but have not heard back. However, Electric Cooperatives of South Carolina says, they are also seeing issues with transformers, but they are able to buy more direct.

The States Home Builder Association says they receive calls weekly from developers.

The National Home Builder Association has reached out to President Biden voicing their concerns, asking his administration to take action.

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