Investments are Part of President Biden’s Investing in America Agenda
COLUMBIA, S.C., November 2, 2023 - USDA Rural Development South Carolina State Director, Dr. Saundra Glover is announcing over $171 million in investments across South Carolina to upgrade infrastructure in rural communities that will bring new jobs, clean water and fuel, and reliable electricity to people in nearly every state.
“We are thrilled to be a part of President Biden’s Investing in America Agenda,” said Glover. “These efforts will help rebuild the physical infrastructure of our country to grow the economy, create good-paying jobs and help rural America prosper.”
This funding is part of recent $5 billion announcement by President Biden leading his Administration’s Investing in Rural America Event Series. President Biden will announce over $5 billion in new investments from his Investing in America agenda – including the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Inflation Reduction Act – to advance rural prosperity, economic development, competition, and sustainability. President Biden will also discuss how Bidenomics and his Investing in America agenda are ensuring rural Americans do not have to leave their hometowns to find opportunity.
Over the course of two weeks, President Biden, Cabinet members, and Senior Administration Officials are barnstorming across the country as part of the Investing in Rural America Event Series to highlight how the Biden-Harris Administration’s investments are bringing new revenue to farms, increased economic development in rural towns and communities, and more opportunity throughout the country.
The Biden-Harris Administration’s Investing in Rural America Event Series, includes:
$171 Million in Investments in South Carolina Rural American Infrastructure: USDA is making the investments through the Electric Infrastructure Loan and Loan Guarantee Program, Higher Blends Infrastructure Incentive Program, Water and Waste Disposal Loan and Grant Program; and an additional $138,864 grant through the Rural Energy for America Program.
For example:
• Pilot Travel Centers, LLC was awarded a $481,768 grant to help create infrastructure to expand the sales and use of renewable fuels. Pilot, who is the owner of more than 10 fueling stations, will retrofit 510 dispensers to E15 at 72 fueling stations located in Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Michigan, North Carolina, Nevada, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Wisconsin and Wyoming. This project projects to increase the amount of ethanol sold by 57,831,408 gallons per year.
• Colonial Oil Industries Inc. will use a $604,000 grant create infrastructure to expand the sales and use of renewable fuels. Colonial Oil Industries Inc is the owner of more than 10 fueling stations. This project will install 26 E15 dispensers three fueling stations located in Georgia and South Carolina. Stations locations impacted by this grant are: Kingsland, Georgia; Bluffton, South Carolina; and Beaufort, South Carolina. This project expects to increase the amount of ethanol sold by 8,840,520 gallons per year.
• Central Electric Power Cooperative, Inc., a Generation and Transmission (G&T) cooperative headquartered in Columbia, South Carolina, will use a $101,021,000 loan to finance the construction of 71 miles of transmission line. This loan includes a $2.2 million in smart grid technologies. Central provides a total wholesale electric service to all of South Carolina’s 20 retail electric cooperatives serving 46 counties and over 864,000 meters.
• York Electric Cooperative will use a $48 million investment to connect 6,660 consumers and build 181 miles of line. York Electric Cooperative serves 67,287 consumers over 4,158 miles of line in Cherokee, Chester, Lancaster, and York counties, South Carolina.
• A $12,759,000 investment will be used to provide funding to Saluda County Water and Sewer Authority (SCWSA) for the Holley Ferry - Spann Road Water Improvements Phase 2 project. The project will construct an elevated water storage tank and a booster pump station plus position a network of waterlines throughout the densely populated eastern side of Saluda County. This project will affect SCWSA's entire system and benefit 4,900 people.
• The Laurens County Water and Sewer Commission (LCWSC) will use a $8,203,000 investment to construct 29,500 linear feet of 16-inch waterline, a new 1,000,000 gallon elevated water tank, and site work for Laurens County Water & Sewer Commission (LCWSC). This project will increase capacity for process water and fire flow and reduce pressure swings in a section of LCWSC's system that is experiencing growth. The median household income (MHI) for the LCWSC service area is $37,681 and the distribution system serves 7,958 people.
• Atri Hospitality LLC, in Chesterfield County, will use a $138,864 grant to purchase and install a 126 kilowatt (kW) solar array. Thise project will generate 147,620 kilowatt hours (kWH) per year, which is enough electricity to power 14 homes.
These announcements build on billions of dollars in investments the Biden-Harris Administration has already made to support rural America, including through expanding access to markets and increasing competition for farmers and producers. Under the Biden-Harris Administration, USDA has committed $1 billion to expand independent meat and poultry processing capacity to give farmers more market options and fairer prices, and reduce reliance on a small handful of large meat and poultry corporations. USDA has also made available $900 million to spur the production of independent, American-made fertilizer, create jobs in rural America, and give farmers more options.
These investments were funded in part by the President’s American Rescue Plan and USDA’s Commodity Credit Corporation.
Background: Bipartisan Infrastructure Law
President Biden forged consensus and compromise between Democrats, Republicans, and Independents to demonstrate our democracy can deliver big wins for the American people. After decades of talk on rebuilding America’s crumbling infrastructure, President Biden delivered the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law – a historic investment in America that will change people’s lives for the better and get America moving again.
The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law provides $65 billion to ensure every American has access to affordable, reliable high-speed internet through a historic investment in broadband infrastructure deployment. The legislation also lowers costs for internet service and helps close the digital divide, so that more Americans can take full advantage of the opportunities provided by internet access.
To learn more about investment resources for rural areas, visit www.rd.usda.gov/sc or contact the nearest USDA Rural Development state office.
USDA Rural Development provides loans and grants to help expand economic opportunities, create jobs, and improve the quality of life for millions of Americans in rural areas. This assistance supports infrastructure improvements; business development; housing; community facilities such as schools, public safety, and health care; and high-speed internet access in rural, tribal, and high-poverty areas. For more information, visit www.rd.usda.gov/sc.
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