DATE: February 09, 2009

CONTACT: Elizabeth Colbert-Busch, 843-554-7226, ext. 117
ebusch@clemson.edu

WRITER: Peter Hull, 843-554-7226, ext. 118
phull@clemson.edu

Restoration Institute to present at 2009 ThinkTEC Innovation summit

NORTH CHARLESTON — Using wind energy to power South Carolina. Managing water resources in real time. Creating "green-collar" jobs.

Experts from the Clemson University Restoration Institute will discuss how environmental preservation and job creation go hand-in-hand during a presentation Wednesday at the ninth annual ThinkTEC summit in North Charleston.

The institute's director of business development, Elizabeth Colbert-Busch, and restoration ecology director Gene Eidson will be joined by Liz Kress, principal engineer with Santee Cooper.

Kress will present an overview of trends in the development of renewable energy resources, particularly those that are viable in South Carolina.

Alternative energy exploration is central to the policies of President Barack Obama. The new administration says it will spend billions of dollars in the form of grants and tax credits to develop technologies that glean power from the wind and other natural resources.

The president's "green revolution" is in lock-step with the Restoration Institute's vision and mission, Colbert-Busch said.

"Renewable energy initiatives will bring jobs to the region and generate revenue for the state," she said. "The Restoration Institute is at the leading edge of what the new administration is doing."

Eidson will demonstrate how population shifts and corresponding energy demands will require careful management of our natural resources.

The Clemson scientist heads an innovative project called the Intelligent River, which deploys a network of sensors and probes along the Savannah River that transmit information wirelessly to a central database.

Data, such as temperature, humidity and dissolved oxygen, can be viewed via the Internet, allowing scientists to manage the river in real time. It means the thousands of homes, businesses and marine life that rely on the river will receive the quantity and quality of water they need.

Their presentation is scheduled for 10:35-11:45 a.m.

To register for ThinkTEC 2009 and for the full summit agenda, visit www.thinktec.org.

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The 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. On the Web at www.clemson.edu/restoration/.