The announcement Thursday that an electric bus manufacturer plans to bring 1,300 new jobs to Greenville County over the next seven years is welcome news and validation that Clemson’s International Center for Automotive Research is an economic engine.

It’s also a testament of the state’s ability to attract employers, and its ability to compete in the 21st century economy where high-tech and green energy industries are likely to predominate.

Proterra Inc. of Golden, Colo., announced it would put its $30 million, 250,000-square foot plant on land it will lease at ICAR. It eventually will employ 1,300 people — and perhaps double that depending on its overseas sales — in a variety of disciplines as it researches and produces electric-powered and renewable energy buses and vehicles. Most of the workers will be production workers with an average wage of $15 an hour, according to a Friday Greenville News story. Proterra’s premier product is a rapid-charge, battery-powered bus. It has orders for 30 buses and expects to deliver 500 a year within several years.

The company has promised to spend $68 million over seven years on facilities in South Carolina, and has room to double the size of its ICAR facility.

Proterra’s commitment is welcome news to a state with one of the nation’s highest unemployment rates at 12.6 percent, and to a part of the state that is accustomed to leading South Carolina in manufacturing and commerce.

Company officials said during their news conference on Thursday that they were lured to Greenville by the quality of the area’s workforce and potential research and development collaboration with ICAR.

Proterra’s potential to tap into the automotive cluster that’s building here, the research talent ICAR has to offer, and the manufacturer’s need for an extensive supply network all give added promise to Proterra’s potential impact in Greenville and the surrounding area.

That the Upstate is also making forays into advanced technologies such as electric vehicles also bodes well. As Sen. Lindsey Graham said in a news release, “Not unlike the recent Boeing 787 announcement, this is another example of South Carolina leading in the green economy.”

Certainly much emphasis is being placed on renewable energy and green technologies, and South Carolina needs to position itself as a leader in those markets. This acquisition takes a major stride toward that.

The state Commerce Department and Greenville Area Development Corp. deserve credit for working together on a package of incentives that helped lure Proterra. The Commerce Department has approved Proterra for the state Job Development Credits program that rewards employers for creating jobs and investing capital, according to a news release. In addition, the state will offer two grants to Greenville County to help with site preparation, according to a Greenville News report. Greenville County has chipped in with a package of tax breaks and other incentives to help lure the company, the newspaper reported.

Local officials also praised the intensive efforts of the Upstate congressional delegation, including Sen. Lindsey Graham, Sen. Jim DeMint and Rep. Bob Inglis. Special credit has been given to Graham and Inglis for their sound knowledge of energy issues and the new, high-tech economy that helped show Proterra that South Carolina was a good fit.

The incentives, quality public and private leadership, our evolving workforce and ICAR all combined to put Greenville ahead of potential sites in Indiana and Ohio. Of course, Greenville’s vibrant downtown — including attractions such as the Liberty Bridge — and the high quality of life the area has to offer were beneficial, too.

This effort — including the involvement of a high quality research facility such as ICAR — should serve as both a model for future efforts and a stepping stone to attract other employers that are designing and manufacturing products for the 21st century economy.