63 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 4, ISSUE 10 urban core of Charlotte are harder and harder to come by, and if you can find them they have gotten very expensive.” Chester County offers numerous site options, including multiple 100-acre, 200-acre, 300-acre, and 500-acre parcels, making it ideal for various project sizes. Another attractive feature for companies considering Chester County is the L & C Railroad, which connects to both Norfolk Southern and CSX, two class one rail carriers, providing flexibility and efficiency for logistics. As well, Chester County is one of only five natural gas authorities in South Carolina. “Three of them are clustered right here, with York Natural Gas Authority, Chester, and Lancaster. And they have their tap into the Williams Transco line that runs from the Gulf Coast up to the northeast,” depicts Long. “Not every project needs rail, but if they do they can generally negotiate rates 20%, to 30% lower because of competition. Also, for heavy gas loads, you negotiate rates at the tap and then pay a transportation fee, which generally results, for larger gas users, in a 20% to 30% savings.” Looking Towards a Sustainable Future The push for sustainability and renewable energy sources is gaining momentum in Chester County. Long relays, “Developers are coming to us, saying when they open their doors in a year and a half, they want 70% of the power to be coming through Renewable Energy Credits (REC), CHESTER COUNT Y, SOUTH CAROL INA
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