Restoration Institute to present at Charleston offshore wind energy workshop

Published: March 16, 2010

image by: Clemson University Restoration Institute

NORTH CHARLESTON — South Carolina’s offshore wind industry is the topic of presentations on March 24 and 25 by the Clemson University Restoration Institute’s Nick Rigas.

The two-day workshop will be at the S.C. Department of Natural Resources in Charleston. It is organized by the Regulatory Task Force for Coastal Clean Energy, the S.C. Energy Office and the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control’s Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management.

Rigas will discuss the state’s potential for wind-energy development March 24 as part of a session on establishing a regulatory framework and policy in South Carolina.

During the March 25 workshop, Rigas will discuss onshore infrastructure needs for offshore wind-energy development and the onshore implications.

Other topics during the two days include permitting issues and management and planning needs.

Rigas is director of renewable energy at the Restoration Institute and director and senior scientist of what will be the world’s largest wind-turbine drive-train testing facility.

He has overall responsibility for design, construction and operation of what will be the only facility in the world capable of testing wind turbine drive trains in the five to 15 megawatt range with 30 percent overload capacity.

The U.S. Department of Energy in November selected the Restoration Institute and its partners to build the one-of-a-kind testing facility. The energy department awarded the institute a $45 million grant that was matched with $53 million from public and private partners.

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Summit sponsors
The sponsors are the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management; the S.C. Sea Grant Consortium; the S.C. Department of Natural Resources; the S.C. Energy Office; the city of Charleston; SCANA Corp.; Research Planning Inc.; Energy Ventures LLC; and General Electric.

Clemson University Restoration Institute
The mission of the Clemson University Restoration Institute is to advance knowledge in integrative approaches to the restoration and sustainability of historic, ecological and urban infrastructure resources, and drive economic growth. The institute’s vision is to build a sustainable future through education, collaborative restoration research and strategic partnerships.