October 14, 2020
From Congressman Reed:
Today, Rep. Tom Reed is proud to announce $830,474 in POWER grants from the Appalachian Regional Commission. Southern Tier West Regional Planning and Development Board will receive $426,304 for a county-wide broadband project in Allegany, and Tompkins County Area Development will receive $404,170 for a fiber broadband trunk from Ithaca to the retired Cayuga coal plant in Lansing, which is the proposed site for an innovate high-capacity data center.
“Working with the Appalachian Regional Commission, we were proud to secure these grant opportunities for Tompkins and Allegany counties,” said Tom. “These important resources will ensure coal-impacted communities in both counties can increase access to new fiber-optic broadband services and expand economic opportunities for the region. We will continue to work with local, state, and federal partners so our local economies can continue to grow and benefit from essential services like high-speed internet.”
“Tompkins County Area Development is excited to announce it has received a $404,170 grant from the Appalachian Regional Commission to support a 17-mile extension of fiber optic cable from Ithaca along the east side of Cayuga Lake to the former Cayuga Coal Plant,” said Heather McDaniel, CEcD, President of Tompkins County Area Development. “This ‘middle mile’ fiber will ultimately enable the delivery of high-speed internet service that has been sorely needed by residents and businesses in Tompkins County.”
“Southern Tier West is very thankful to the Appalachian Regional Commission and Congressman Reed for their continued support of broadband expansion across our region,” said Richard Zink, Southern Tier West Regional Planning and Development Board executive director. “This ARC POWER award will bring the Allegany County broadband network up to date with the newest antennas that allow for greater foliage penetration and therefore greater reach to homes and businesses across the county. Our goal is to partner with any agency that desires to assist with this effort of broadband expansion.”
The Appalachian Regional Commission’s Partnerships for Opportunity and Workforce and Economic Revitalization (POWER) Initiative supports efforts to create a more vibrant economic future for coal-impacted communities by cultivating economic diversity, enhancing job training and re-employment opportunities, creating jobs in existing or new industries, and attracting new sources of investment. For more information, visit ARC.gov.
