South Carolina
| Program | # of Grants | EDA Funds |
|---|---|---|
| Public Works | 5 | $13,013,500 |
| Economic Adjustment Assistance | 2 | $1,500,000 |
| Technical Assistance | 1 | $128,592 |
| Total | 8 | $14,642,092 |
During FY 2012, EDA awarded eight investments totaling more than $14.6 million in the state of South Carolina. These investments support a variety of industry clusters in the state including manufacturing, agriculture, and transportation. The University of South Carolina serves as an EDA-funded University Center which provides resources to develop, implement, and support regional strategies that promote job, creation, the development of high-skilled regional talent pools, and business expansion. These investments are expected to create or retain 949 jobs according to grantee estimates.
South Carolina boasts one of the Rural Job and Innovation Accelerator Competition winners. The Southern Carolina Regional Development Alliance project will create the Nuclear and Advanced Manufacturing Skills Academy in the region comprised of Allendale, Bamberg, Barnwell, Colleton, and Hampton counties.
Investment Spotlight: EDA Investment Constructs Advanced Technology Training Center
In the early 1950s, the United States Atomic Energy Commission constructed the Savannah River Site outside Aiken, South Carolina to produce fuel for thermonuclear weapons. Since that time, the region has become a global leader in nuclear energy. Although none of the site’s five nuclear reactors are currently in operation, the Savannah River Site continues to serve as a major job creator in the region, as well as a site of significant research and development in nuclear technology and alternative energy.
To meet the workforce needs of the region’s nuclear technology and alternative energy clusters, as well as its growing presence of advanced manufacturers, EDA awarded $2.6 million to Aiken Technical College and the Aiken County Technical Education Commission to construct the Center for Energy and Advanced Technology. The facility will prepare a highly-skilled workforce in the growing fields of mechatronics, welding, and radiation protection technology. The presence of an educated workforce with advanced skills is critical to continued economic development in western South Carolina. The grantee estimates this project will create 295 jobs and generate $346 million in private investment.