Tri-County Electric Cooperative announced that they will be investing $12 million in an effort to bring quality fiber optic internet access to parts of Lower Richland that have as of yet been ineligible for such services due to the largely rural nature of the area.
“We are excited to see Tri-County investing in Richland County to provide more residents with access to broadband internet,” Richland County Chair Paul Livingston said in the release. “The Covid-19 pandemic taught us the importance of having broadband connectivity, and this project will help our community stay better connected.”
Back in early December, in an effort to encourage such growth in our local community, the Richland County Council approved a fee-in-lieu-of-tax agreement with Tri-County Electric that will provide a more favorable property tax rate over a 30 year period. “We’re proud to make this investment in Richland County to provide broadband to previously underserved areas,” said Chad Lowder, CEO of Tri-County Electric. “This is a further commitment from Tri-County and its leadership team to provide essential services to citizens in our service territory.”
Tri-County Electric is based out of St. Matthews and was founded in 1940. They are a member-owned electric utility serving the greater South Carolina counties of: Calhoun, Kershaw, Lexington, Orangeburg, Richland, and Sumter. Its Richland County office is located at 11335 Garners Ferry Road in Eastover.
