Project to be built off the coast of Georgia
Southern Co. and the Georgia Institute of Technology recently announced they will collaborate on the Southeast’s first offshore wind power project off the coast of Savannah, Ga. The project has the potential to be the first of its kind completed in the United States.
In the past the Southeast wasn’t considered a prime location for an offshore wind turbine, but Dr. Sam Sheldon, leader of the Georgia Tech group, proved otherwise when he analyzed six years of wind data collected from Navy platforms located off the coast of Savannah. He found that the strong westerlies that blow along Georgia’s coastal waters and the area’s extensive shallow water at distances beyond the shoreline view, make this a prime location for an offshore wind demonstration project.
The first phase of the project will examine different technology options for wind turbines, platforms/foundations, submarine cabling, and grid interconnection as well as analyze site location and environmental regulations and jurisdictions like permitting requirements.