| Two significant economic development related announcements were made this week in Southwest Virginia. On Wednesday, Governor Glenn Youngkin unveiled the largest land deal in our region to support the development of an energy hub. This public-private framework will transform up to 65,000 acres of previously-mined coal properties in Southwest Virginia, furthering our shared commitment to innovation and development that will strengthen our position as the energy capital of the Commonwealth—powering a bright and bold future for Virginia. You can read more here. A $15 million investment to create 170 new jobs in Russell County was announced on Thursday. Tate, a global provider for commercial and data center applications, will establish manufacturing operations in Russell County to support Virginia’s data center market and customers at other data center sites. From my first meeting with this prospect, I knew that Tate was a great fit for Russell County and SWVA, particularly as we work to identify ways to support further data center development throughout the Commonwealth. In addition to creating a business-friendly regulatory and policy environment that incentivizes growth and investment, our Southwest Virginia delegation takes a hands-on approach to economic development and job creation. This is a top priority and is critical to making Southwest Virginia the best place to live, work, and raise a family. |
