Southern Lowcountry Regional Board 10:00 AM

The Southern Lowcountry Regional Board meeting held on June 24, 2026, focused primarily on a presentation about Candela's hydrofoil electric boats and ferries, highlighting a potential regional manufacturing and transportation initiative. The discussion emphasized the opportunity to establish a U.S.-based manufacturing facility in South Carolina, particularly Jasper County, to comply with the Jones Act requiring 70% domestic production for commercial vessels. The project aims to deploy an initial fleet of six electric ferries to improve regional mobility, reduce energy consumption by 90%, and alleviate traffic congestion by removing thousands of cars from roads daily. The presentation also covered infrastructure needs such as docking locations, charging stations, and parking facilities, with potential federal and state funding including a $3 million maritime division under the South Carolina DOT and grants for electric propulsion. The board discussed challenges related to shore-side infrastructure funding, parking, and integration with existing transportation systems. Additionally, the meeting briefly addressed a multi-jurisdictional litter reduction initiative proposing coordinated education, enforcement, and infrastructure improvements across Beaufort and Jasper counties, though no specific procurement actions were identified for this topic.