I can’t think of two companies better equipped to tackle our global energy crisis and water management problems.

GE’s wind turbine manufacturing facility UpState has been cranking out tons of product as of late (see video below), and this morning I see IBM is getting involved with water management around the globe.

If you want a little more information, here are their two webpages to checkout:

• GE wind-power
• IBM’s Advanced Water Management

Using wind resource maps, you can determine if an area should be further explored.
Credit: U.S. D.O.E.

If you’re curious about South Carolina’s offshore wind capacity, the DOE has created a nationwide map of wind currents as they move 50 meters above the surface. Their wind resource map is helping determine whether an area should be further explored as a location for wind power facilities going forward.

After enlarging the map, we can see that all of SC’s coastline is rated either good, excellent, or outstanding as a source of wind power, so when you hear that South Carolina’s potential state tax credit for the development of an off-shore wind farm is $1,063,333, it’s obvious we need to head in that direction.

One of six 10′ weather buoys for measuring winds off the Georgetown coast.
Credit: Santee Cooper

Dr. Mitchell Colgan, chairman of the College of Charleston’s Geology and Environmental Geosciences Department – who’s worked for Shell Oil, the U.S. Geological Survey and three different oil reservoirs in Alaska, New Mexico and Texas – has publicly said “I really don’t think there’s any oil out there” and “…there is no economically recoverable gas off our coast”. With that argument all but closed, we should move full steam ahead on wind power now… and it looks like we are.

With weather buoys being placed offshore at strategic locations to maximize wind monitoring, and workers retraining for wind-energy jobs in this tough economy, things are starting to look interesting in this job-stressed economy.

Using the DOE wind resource map as a guide, projections can be made to make maximize use of South Carolina’s offshore wind capacity (although the map represents wind 50 meters above water level buoys are no where near that high). Still, Santee Cooper hopes to get their monies worth out of R&D and along with grant money from the DOE, we look forward to reaping the benefits of Earth’s natural resources in a non-invasive and environmentally friendly manner going forward.

For more info, be sure to read about the South Carolina Offshore Wind Programs.