South Carolina Power Team, a full-service, nonprofit economic development organization representing the state's 20 electric cooperatives, announces that it was the recipient of the 2017 National Rural Economic Developers Association (NREDA) Organization Excellent Award.

This award was presented to SC Power Team for its Site Readiness Fund (SRF) initiative, a $30 million fund established by its Board of Trustees in 2014 as matching grants to pair with funding from the state's 20 electric cooperatives, local governments, and other resources to facilitate the enhancement of existing sites, parks, and buildings within the electric cooperative service territories. 

SRF's objective: to create sites that can be competitive through a site selection process; support the advancement of a site; and better position the site for winning during the site selection process. The SRF commitments exceeding $25 million has leveraged an additional $105 million in investment from local governments and electric cooperatives. The sites where SRF has been utilized are referred to by SC Power Team as “SC Power Sites.”

Clancy Courtney, Product Development Manager and 30-year member of the SC Power Team, concentrates his efforts on marketing SC Power Sites and making sites market-ready. He accepted the award on behalf of the organization at the awards ceremony which was held during the NREDA Annual Conference in San Antonio, Texas.

"The Site Readiness Fund is a community preparedness initiative established only four years ago, yet is having a profound effect on developing product, bringing sites to a market-ready status, and securing location announcements," stated James Chavez, president and CEO for SC Power Team. "Through this initiative, the SC Power Team is carrying on its legacy of being essential to economic development in South Carolina and being partners in progress and prosperity." 

About South Carolina Power Team: 

South Carolina Power Team is a full-service, non-profit economic development organization representing Central Electric Power Cooperative, Inc., and the state's 20 consumer-owned electric cooperatives. The power system serves the entire state (46 counties) and over half of its population. Its mission is to facilitate the growth of jobs, investment and electric load through the attraction of new industrial and commercial activity, as well as, the expansion and retention of existing businesses and industrial facilities. For more information, visit SCPowerTeam.com.