Shem Creek - A seafood-lover's paradise!

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

In a study you know didn’t appear over night, the DOE has put together a nationwide map of wind currents as they move across the country 50 meters off the ground. From this wind resource map, you can determine if an area should be further explored for maximum wind power.

After enlarging the map above, you can easily see that the whole coastline of S.C. 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 a no-brainer that we head in this direction.

A 10′ weather buoy – 1 of 6 – for measuring winds offshore from Georgetown, S.C.
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 already publicly stated that “I really don’t think there’s any oil out there” and “…there is no economically recoverable gas off our coast”. With that dilemma all but closed, we should be 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 – not that it would be a bad job anyway! – things are really starting to pickup now.

Using the DOE wind resource map as a guide, there should be no problem finding the best wind currents out there – although the map is for 50 meters off the ground and the buoys are nowhere near that high. Still, Santee Cooper hopes to get there monies worth out of their research, and along with grant money from the DOE, we have nothing but hope for both of them.

Well I’m back after a week off, but it was good to read last week’s “SC must kick costly coal habit” from the Post & Courier.

My take away from the article was this piece I feel we are really missing out on here in SC – offshore wind power:

Now is not the time for South Carolina to beg off from meeting expected federal renewable energy standards. Wind alone has the potential to bring ten to twenty thousand manufacturing jobs to South Carolina, according to a study conducted by former Clemson professor, Dr. Nick Regas. He estimated that offshore wind could supply 20 percent of the state’s energy at a cost of $3 million to $5 million per megawatt of installed capacity. That figure compares favorably against a new coal plant — $1.8 billion for 600 megawatts of wind versus $1.3 billion for 600 megawatts of dirty coal for a new plant.

It was mentioned in an earlier post how wind power in SC would be a great source of energy for all of us – especially after reading that other places have already started using it.

I’ll be attending the Common Agenda meeting Upstate tomorrow to learn more.