North Myrtle Beach, SC

One would be hard-pressed to find a region rich in oil with untapped wells or accessible coal unscathed by a miner. It does not take long, however, to find a powerful natural energy source literally blowing past American cities, unharnessed. Current technology is able to capture nearly 60 percent of wind’s energy. This potential power in the wind flowing over the United States in one year is more than the country’s total power needs for those same 365 days, yet wind power currently makes up less than one percent of our energy supply. This number is likely to grow in the not so distant future, however, as communities around the world are working to capture this free and renewable resource. One such community is North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Through alliances with a number of local economic and academic institutions, the North Myrtle Beach Chamber of Commerce is taking steps not only toward local energy independence but toward the establishment of a powerful economic cluster.

Equipped with a gusty coastline, South Carolina is home to a number of wind energy projects including nearly $100 million in federal stimulus money and matching funds awarded to Clemson University for a turbine testing site. In the midst of such buzz, Monroe Baldwin, chair of the Economic Development Council of the North Myrtle Beach Chamber of Commerce, saw tremendous opportunity in the spacious roofs of hotels lining the community’s beaches. Spearheaded by the Chamber, the North Strand Coastal Wind Team was formed with the goal of turning North Myrtle Beach into a demonstration city for energy independence and success in the green economy. Other members of the team include the city government, the Savannah River National Laboratory, Coastal Carolina University’s Center for Marine and Wetland Studies, the Myrtle Beach Regional Economic Development Authority, and the South Carolina Energy Office.

Together, these organizations took the first step in bringing wind energy to North Myrtle Beach through the establishment of a turbine test site on the roof of the Avista Resort. Concurrent to its installation, the Team is making their case to the City Council for a residential turbine ordinance, allowing the installation of smaller windmills on homes. Though ambitious, these first steps are small milestones in the Team’s long-term vision, which identifies North Myrtle Beach as a national demonstration city and home to an economic cluster of wind energy entrepreneurs. “The efforts of the North Strand Coastal Wind Team have already attracted a lot of attention from players in the field, even from those as distant as Arizona,” said Marc Jordan, President and CEO of the North Myrtle Beach Chamber of Commerce. “We have a tremendous opportunity to create a cottage industry of small, local manufacturers.” Steps to reach this goal include vocational training for residents and the establishment of an energy development village for testing sites. The Team is also seeking funding for incubation programs to nurture budding entrepreneurs.

The vision for a sustainable North Myrtle Beach isn’t confined to neighborhood boundaries. In the fall of 2009, the Wind Team submitted a grant application to the South Carolina Energy Office for beach access wind energy generation turbines and electric vehicle recharging stations for the City’s new beach accesses. Though a challenging task complete with city council meetings and community input, large turbines would bring South Carolina’s first carbon neutral city within reach. The successful installation of beach-based energy generation could pave the way for future discussions of full-scale, off-shore wind turbines.

Through the Chamber’s visionary leadership, North Myrtle Beach may soon be the target of national attention—not only from clean energy advocates and environmental groups, but from manufacturers, entrepreneurs, and a generation of young, talented leaders choosing to live in the innovative and forward thinking communities of the U.S.