Whether you live in Berkeley or Charleston County, we are all blessed to experience the incredible quality of life that comes with living in Lowcountry.
The Lowcountry is a global leader in manufacturing, hospitality and conservation. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, the Bureau of Economic Analysis classified our area as having the most productive economy in the state, thanks to the many large industries here.
For economic growth in our region to continue, we must invest in infrastructure improvements, such as functional and wider roads and better public transport options. We must also recognize the growing importance of the clean energy industry in South Carolina and support smart, pro-growth infrastructure policies at all levels of government to rebuild our nation’s essential resources, creating jobs and expanding economic opportunities in the process. After all, the issue of clean energy is no longer partisan. In fact, a recent poll released by Citizens for Responsible Energy Solutions (CRES) found that 76% of Republican voters support action by the federal government to accelerate the development and use of clean energy in the United States.
Here in South Carolina, the need to reduce carbon emissions and further develop the clean energy industry in our state is obvious. The impacts of a rapidly changing climate are already being felt in many parts of Lowcountry. In the past decade, the number of severe storms has increased, with coastal flooding intensifying across the region. Without a solution, these problems will continue to harm local homes, businesses and industries if they are not resolved. By including energy in infrastructure policies, we can help drive a stronger and faster economic recovery for our state, which also prioritizes a more sustainable and competitive future.
To address the issue of flooding, often caused by increased severity of storms, one measure that my colleagues and I at State House can support is funding the Office of Resilience in this session. Created by legislation last year, this office will prepare and reduce the impacts of flood disasters. By fully financing this office in this year’s budget, we can save taxpayer money in the long run by implementing flood mitigation measures across the state.
For Lowcountry to remain a global leader supported in part by our state’s admired coastal environment, we must all work together to resolve issues such as road repair and construction, bridge repair, coastal flooding and modernization of our power grid. Simply put, not repairing our state’s infrastructure can hurt our success.
When it comes to these long-awaited investments in infrastructure, the can was kicked in the way for a long time. I am ready to work with my colleagues, on both sides of the corridor, to promote smart policies that address these concerns as part of a broader effort to modernize and update the entire infrastructure of our state and the nation, which includes ensuring that energy clean is included in our priorities.
In addition, our efforts at the state level must be combined with efforts at the federal level. I know that Senator Tim Scott understands the need for smart infrastructure investments that create jobs and bring benefits to all South Carolinaians, and I hope he will join his colleagues to promote bipartisan common sense, including energy policies market-based clean energy, such as those passed by Congress as part of the 2020 bipartisan Energy Act. These policies can help create much-needed jobs and boost our economic recovery.
There is a clear opportunity to rekindle infrastructure investments in South Carolina as part of a broader investment to repair our country’s infrastructure in order to create a better future for our state and country. We will work together to make this happen.
State Representative Mark Smith represents District 99 of the House.