Three sites in NC Public Power communities were recently named Smart Sites by ElectriCities of North Carolina. The Smart Site designation guarantees the site has met stringent requirements and is shovel-ready for new development. The designation was announced to city officials by Brenda Daniels, ElectriCities Economic Development Manager. The site will now be marketed to growing businesses as a prime site for development in North Carolina.
The Smart Sites program was created by ElectriCities in 2014 to assist member communities in preparing shovel-ready sites for economic development. The 2015 Smart Sites include the Tarboro Commerce Center, Statesville Business Park and Wilson Corporate Park.
“In today’s competitive environment, it’s rare for a company to locate on an undeveloped property,” said Daniels. “New and expanding companies expect existing buildings or a prepared, shovel-ready site to shorten the amount of time needed for construction. We created Smart Sites to help offer more shovel-ready property for economic development growth in NC Public Power communities.”
Achieving the Smart Sites designation is very competitive. Potential sites must meet specific requirements and undergo an extensive review process by site selection experts, including ECS Engineering and Creative EDC. Each site must have municipal electric service, water and sewer access within 500 feet and be within five miles of an interstate or interstate-quality highway.
Smart Sites are then marketed internationally by ElectriCities at numerous trade shows and industry events.
For more information on the program and sites, visit www.electricities.com/ecodev.
About ElectriCities of North Carolina
ElectriCities of North Carolina, Inc., is the membership organization that provides power supply and related critical services to over 90 community-owned electric systems in North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia—collectively known as public power. ElectriCities manages the power supply for two power agencies in North Carolina and provides technical services to assist members in operating their electric distribution systems. ElectriCities also helps these locally owned and operated public power providers thrive today and in the future by delivering innovative services, including legislative, technical, communications, and economic development expertise.
Visit www.electricities.com to learn more about the benefits of public power and how ElectriCities helps communities keep the lights on through access to safe, reliable, and affordable energy.
Media contact
Elizabeth Kadick
Vice President, Communications, ElectriCities
919-760-6285
ekadick@electricities.org