Oct 30 2010
Clemson University in South Carolina performed the ground breaking ceremony for its proposed wind turbine testing center, to be built at a cost of around $100 million. The new facility, when completed, will generate thousands of new jobs in the state.
Earlier last year the University had received $45 million finance under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act from the government, and other private entities from the state have donated another $53 million. The testing center will primarily renovate the existing old naval base warehouse to house its wind turbine testing and research facility. The test facility which is expected to commence its operations in 2012 will start with testing drive trains that receive the energy produced by the wind turbine blades that propels electrical generators. Initially the test center will deploy around 20 people in the services and starting of this test center is expected to lead to more jobs later. The other institutions partnering in the project with the university include the state Department of Commerce, Charleston Naval Complex Redevelopment Authority, the South Carolina State Ports Authority, South Carolina Public Railways and private enterprises such as James Meadors, Tony Bakker and RENK AG.
The event was attended by University officials and representatives of the Republican and Democratic parties. James Barker, President of Clemson University, said that the research joined by the research community of the University and the manufacturing segment will help push up the state to lead the promising and significant wind power segment.