Cassidy Announces $2.8 Million Grant to McNeese State to Create LNG Center of Excellence in Lake Charles

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) today announced the Commerce Department's Economic Development Administration (EDA) is awarding a $2.8 million CARES Act Recovery Assistance grant to McNeese State University Foundation to construct a Center of Excellence to serve as a hub of resiliency for the Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) industry. This center will better enable the region to respond to future economic disruptions, including pandemics and natural disasters. This EDA grant is expected to create 112 jobs and generate $6.3 billion in private investment. It will also be matched with $687,500 in local funds.

'Making sure that the lights stay on during natural disasters keeps Louisianians safe,' said Dr. Cassidy. 'This grant fortifies Louisiana's energy security to prevent power outages during and after natural disasters.'

These projects are funded under the bipartisan CARES Act, which passed in March, 2020 and provided EDA with $1.5 billion for economic assistance programs to help communities prevent, prepare for, and respond to coronavirus.

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