News

Santee Cooper to look at use of wind turbine

Nov 16 -
> McClatchy-Tribune Regional News - Tony Bartelme The Post and Courier,
> Charleston, S.C.
>
> As Santee Cooper explores the feasibility of building a wind farm
> off the Carolina coast, it's also looking at the viability of
> generating power from small wind turbines in Georgetown County,
> officials said Friday.
>
> Crews plan to install an anemometer at the end of Georgetown
> Fishing Pier next week. Engineers will monitor winds for three to six
> months.
>
> If the wind is sufficient, Santee Cooper could install a 2-
> kilowatt wind turbine there.
>
> "We think these projects offer a great learning opportunity for
> students, and they will help us all learn about this important
> potential renewable energy resource," said Marc Tye, Santee Cooper's
> vice president of conservation and renewable energy.
>
> Santee Cooper already has gathered data on wind speeds on land
> and found the wind isn't strong enough to generate enough power on a
> large scale.
>
> Winds blow much harder off the coast, however, and earlier this
> year Santee Cooper and Coastal Carolina University stationed buoys at
> the south and north ends of the Grand Strand to measure wind speeds
> for a possible large-scale wind farm.
>
> Turbines in offshore wind farms are capable of generating 1.5
> megawatts of electricity, enough to power 750 homes. A 2-kilowatt
> generator, however, would be more suitable for a single home.
>
> Santee Cooper also plans to test winds at Morgan Park.
>
>