U.S. Department of Commerce Invests $1.2 Million to Boost Clean Energy Manufacturing Sector in Sumter, South Carolina

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo announced the Department’s Economic Development Administration (EDA) is awarding a $1.2 million grant to the city of Sumter, South Carolina, for water infrastructure improvements needed to boost the region’s clean energy industry.

This grant will support the establishment of a new solar wafer manufacturing facility. This EDA investment will be matched with $298,400 in local funds and is expected to create 300 jobs and generate $65 million in private investment, according to grantee estimates.

“The Biden-Harris Administration recognizes that infrastructure is key to building an economy that works for all Americans, and that America’s workers are the source of our country’s innovation and competitiveness,” said Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo. “This EDA investment will help create high quality, good-paying jobs while promoting sustainable clean energy development in Sumter, South Carolina.”

“The Economic Development Administration plays an important role in supporting locally driven development plans,” said Acting Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development Cristina Killingsworth. “This investment will support job creation and private investment in South Carolina while increasing American leadership in clean energy.”

“Thanks to the Biden-Harris Administration, South Carolina is experiencing a clean energy manufacturing boom unlike anything we’ve seen before,” said Representative James Clyburn (SC-6). “I’m grateful for their efforts to create thousands of good-paying jobs and countless opportunities throughout the Palmetto state.”

This project was made possible by the regional planning efforts led by the Santee-Lynches Regional Council of Governments (SLRCOG). EDA funds (SLRCOG) 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 the Disaster Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2023, which provided EDA with $483 million in additional Economic Adjustment Assistance (EAA) Program funds for disaster relief and recovery for areas that received a major disaster declaration under the Robert T. Stafford Act as a result of Hurricanes Ian and Fiona, wildfires, flooding, and other natural disasters occurring in calendar years 2021 and 2022. Please visit EDA’s Disaster Supplemental webpage for more information.

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.