Reply #2: Wind turbines considered for Georgia coast (AJC)

[jpak]

http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/business/stories/2008/07/09/wind_turbine_georgia_coast.html

Tybee Island — The wind gusted to 25 mph at the far end of this beach town's famous pier. A dozen kite surfers below skimmed across the foam-flecked ocean. Shirtless and sunburned fishermen praised the cooling powers of the southerly breezes.

The wind proved a recreational godsend. Could it also prove a commercial success?

Georgia Tech researchers, who recently completed a study on wind energy off Tybee and Jekyll islands, think so. Southern Co., which commissioned the report, will further study whether a wind farm could generate enough electricity to be financially feasible.

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A year later, Southern Co. put up $580,000 to study offshore wind with Tech. Researchers winnowed possible sites to a half-dozen off Tybee and Jekyll islands. Each location must accommodate maybe 80 turbines – with rotors as long as a football field.

A site 10 miles southeast of Tybee, where the turbines would appear no larger than a beach-goer's finger nail, might prove best."It is not a pristine ocean view, but the turbines would be no more visible than channel markers," said Tybee councilman Wolff. "So we might as well be generating energy."

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6 sites x 80 turbines @ 3 MW each = 1440 MW