U.S. Department of Commerce Invests $1.5 Million in American Rescue Plan Funds for Water Infrastructure Upgrades to Support Business Expansion in Kingsport, Tennessee

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina M. Raimondo announced that the Department’s Economic Development Administration (EDA) is awarding a $1.5 million grant to the city of Kingsport, Tennessee, for upgrades to the existing water pump station. This grant is funded by the American Rescue Plan.

This project will provide Kingsport with a reliable water source and consistent service, attracting new businesses to the region while helping other to expand. This EDA grant will be matched with $5 million in local funds and is expected to create 83 jobs and generate $230 million in private investment.

“President Biden supports community-led efforts to diversify and grow regional economies,” said Secretary of Commerce Gina M. Raimondo. “This EDA investment will help meet the critical demand for additional water service, promoting job growth and business expansion to help diversify the local economy.”

“The Economic Development Administration plays an important role in supporting locally-driven strategies designed to stimulate entrepreneurial activity,” said Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development Alejandra Y. Castillo. “This project is part of EDA’s Coal Communities Commitment, which supports communities impacted by the declining use of coal as they manage the economic transition, and will provide support as the local economy seeks to diversify and create new, good-paying jobs.”

This project was made possible by the regional planning efforts led by the First Tennessee Development District (FTDD). EDA funds FTDD to bring together the public and private sectors to create an economic development roadmap to strengthen the regional economy, support private capital investment and create jobs.

This project is funded under EDA’s American Rescue Plan Economic Adjustment Assistance Program, which makes $500 million in Economic Adjustment Assistance grants available to American communities. The Economic Adjustment Assistance program is EDA’s most flexible program, and grants made under this program will help hundreds of communities across the nation plan, build, innovate, and put people back to work through construction or non-construction projects designed to meet local needs.

EDA’s Coal Communities Commitment allocates $300 million of EDA’s $3 billion American Rescue Plan appropriation to support coal communities as they recover from the pandemic and to help them create new jobs and opportunities, including through the creation or expansion of a new industry sector. Specifically, EDA has dedicated $100 million of its Build Back Better Regional Challenge funds and $200 million of its Economic Adjustment Assistance funds to directly support coal communities.

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.