Federal funding is coming to power economic development in Dover which officials say will help bring hundreds of jobs to the state capital.
$5 million in funding is earmarked to build a substation that will power Garrison Oak Business and Technology Park - as well as provide backup power to the city.
Dover Mayor Robin Christiansen says that will improve electrical sustainability and reliability while aiding continued development at Garrison Oak Business and Technology Park -- development Christiansen says could add over 300 jobs.
Sen, Chris Coons says that makes Delaware more competitive regionally.
"At the end of the day 300 families in the city of Dover may end up with their family member working in a high-skilled, high-wage, reliable job,” said Coons. “We are in a fierce competition for the jobs of the future. Delaware long relied on high quality manufacturing jobs in the past. If we want to attract them again we've got a highway, we've got roads, we've got sewer, we've got a great workforce. Power was what was needed."
The funding was secured through the appropriations bill passed in March.
Dover Electric Director Paul Waddell explains how much power the project will provide.
"When this substation is complete hopefully in 2023, we'll be able to provide upwards of 100 megawatts of power capacity to the park, and provide redundancy to the existing residential and commercial customers in the area," said Waddell.
The hope is to complete the substation sometime in 2023 according to city officials.
