Today, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo announced the Department’s Economic Development Administration (EDA) is awarding a $2.6 million grant to the Chester Sewer District in Richburg, South Carolina, for wastewater infrastructure improvements needed to support the electric vehicle industry and other business sector growth in the region.
This grant will provide the infrastructure needed to establish a lithium hydroxide processing facility to support the electric vehicle industry. This EDA investment will be matched with $647,280 in local funds and is expected to create 300 jobs and generate $1.3 billion in private investment, according to grantee estimates.
“President Biden’s Investing in America agenda is a commitment to ensuring that communities in South Carolina and across the country have the resources and infrastructure they need to grow their local economies,” said Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo. “This EDA investment will ensure Richburg has the modern and sustainable infrastructure needed to boost the critical electric vehicle manufacturing sector while creating good-paying jobs in the region.”
“The Economic Development Administration works closely with local communities to support place-based economic development,” said Deputy Assistant Secretary for Policy and External Affairs, performing the non-exclusive functions and duties of the Assistant Secretary for Economic Development Cristina Killingsworth. “This project will provide critical wastewater infrastructure to help diversify the regional economy, ensure its resiliency, and create jobs.”
This project was made possible by the regional planning efforts led by the Catawba Regional Council of Governments (CRCOG). EDA funds CRCOG to bring together the public and private sectors to create an economic development framework which strengthens the regional economy, supports private capital investment, and creates jobs.
About the U.S. Economic Development Administration (www.eda.gov)
The mission of the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) is to lead the federal economic development agenda by promoting competitiveness and preparing the nation’s regions for growth and success in the worldwide economy. An agency within the U.S. Department of Commerce, EDA invests in communities and supports regional collaboration in order to create jobs for U.S. workers, promote American innovation, and accelerate long-term sustainable economic growth.