NORTH MYRTLE BEACH -- The North Strand Coastal Wind Team installed the newest power-generating wind turbine Tuesday at a North Myrtle Beach city park at 1st Ave. S. and Ocean Boulevard.
Officials with the North Strand Coastal Wind Team say the turbine has a capacity of 2 kilowatts of electricity at any one time, or about 6,000 kilowatt hours per year. That's not quite enough to power one average-sized three bedroom home.
A second similar turbine will be installed Wednesday at the Russell Burgess Coastal Preserve in the Cherry Grove area.
Research shows the wind speed in North Myrtle Beach averages 12 to 15 miles per hour a day. That's more than enough to allow the turbine in the city park to provide power for a concession stand and a large water slide on the beach.
Any extra electricity the two new turbines will produce will go straight into the power grid.
"Generally speaking, these turbines will lower the energy consumption costs for the city of North Myrtle Beach," said Monroe Baldwin, a founding member of the Coastal Wind Team.
A state grant helped pay for the turbine and critics say wind energy couldn't compete without government support.
The co-owner of Wind Turbines of South Carolina, the Bluffton-based company that installed the turbines says, it may be true now that government subsidies are needed to support the industry, but someday, turbines like the ones in North Myrtle Beach will pay for themselves.
"I like to say that this sells for the price of a small car, and within 10 to 12 years, you're going to own your electricity for 30 to 40 years, for the lifespan of this machine," said Sam Kirkland
North Myrtle Beach city leaders want their community to be a leader in the state in wind energy production. Supporters say there's the potential for South Carolina to reap a windfall in the industry.
"This particular strand of beach and barrier islands has a very good resource, based upon geography, the gulf stream and all the mechanics of that," Kirkland said.
Baldwin said wind production could be the next big industry for coastal South Carolina. "We have wind energy manufacturing facilities in the Upstate, we have a wind turbine test center being built in North Charleston and the future of the wind industry is very large."
Baldwin said the turbine that was tilted into place Tuesday could mark the advent of larger turbines coming to the area and perhaps someday an offshore wind farm.
