Duke Energy has selected two South Carolina properties for its Site Readiness Program to prepare them for business and industrial development.
The program identifies, evaluates, and improves industrial sites in the company’s six-state service territory to help communities compete for new companies and jobs, according to a news release. The sites are selected based on their potential to bring large businesses and industries to their area.
The properties chosen to participate in this year’s program include a 80-acre property in Cherokee County and 400-acre property in Lancaster County, the release said.
The Cherokee property has the potential to accommodate up to a 1-million-square-foot industrial facility, while the Lancaster property offers more than 300 acres of developable land with four-lane highway frontage along U.S. 521.
“The Duke Energy Site Readiness Program has helped to take Cherokee County’s site development program to the next level,” said Ken Moon, deputy director of the Cherokee County Development Board, in the release. “This program has helped us know the strengths and shortcomings of each of the sites we have evaluated over the last three years. This has been critical in formulating a plan to ensure Cherokee County is a viable contender for new industries looking to locate in the Upstate of South Carolina.”
As part of the program, Duke Energy works with McCallum Sweeney Consulting to conduct site studies and then collaborates with county leaders and local economic development professionals to create a strategy for providing water, sewer, and electricity to the sites. Each site can apply for a $10,000 matching grant from Duke Energy to help prepare it for projects, according to the release.
At the completion of the program, Duke Energy will present its findings, which include a detailed report and conceptual drawings, to county officials and then market the sites nationwide to companies seeking to expand or relocate operation.
Since its launch in 2005, the Duke Energy Site Readiness Program has helped attract 29 major projects to South Carolina, bringing more than 6,200 new jobs and approximately $7 million in capital investment, according to the release.
“Economic development is a team sport and we are a key position player – working with many local and regional partners in different capacities throughout the economic development process to achieve success,” Stu Heishman, Duke Energy’s vice president of economic development, said in the release. “We have a specific focus on site readiness, industrial recruitment and collaborative efforts with our state and local partners. The Site Readiness Program has been a uniquely successful tool for communities across the Carolinas to help close deals.”
For more information, duke-energy.com.
