City of NMB Adopts Memorandum of Understanding Regarding a Beach Access Wind Energy Grant

Download Press Release from the City of North Myrtle Beach

NORTH MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. – On February 21, the North Myrtle Beach City Council passed a resolution approving a memorandum of understanding between the city, the North Strand Coastal Wind Team (NSCWT) and Orangeburg-Calhoun Technical College regarding a beach access wind energy grant.

The NSCWT received a grant in the amount of $176,000 from the State of South Carolina to purchase and install up to seven small wind turbines in oceanfront locations within the city of North Myrtle Beach. The memorandum of understanding clarifies the roles that the city, the NSCWT, and Orangeburg-Calhoun Tech will assume with respect to the fulfillment of the grant.
Working with the city, the NSCWT will prepare a bid proposal/package for distribution to potential contractors.

The city may provide up to seven locations for the installment of the wind turbines, and may remove any or all of the turbines, if necessary for the health, safety, and welfare of the citizens and visitors.

Once installed, the city will assume ownership of the wind turbines and will provide insurance relating to them. The city will maintain the turbines and will safeguard them during a hurricane or other weather related event for which the city is able to make advance preparations.
An instructor from the Orangeburg-Calhoun Tech will participate in the installation of the wind turbines in order to obtain Small Wind Certification through the North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners.

Orangeburg-Calhoun Tech will also perform data collection, turbine experimentation and develop the educational aspects relating to wind turbine instrumentation.

In addition to providing the wind data to the general public, the collaboration’s goals are to stream wind data into Orangeburg-Calhoun Tech’s educational program and to provide the wind data statewide via the internet for K-16 education. The data will be comprised of information generated from the turbines located in North Myrtle Beach in conjunction with other projects from across the state. The data will be displayed on an “energy dashboard” to be placed on appropriate websites, which may be utilized by the tourist industry.