City of Tybee Island Adopts Local Resolution in Support of Wind Development, a First in Georgia: A Wind Powering America Success Story

June 5, 2012

During a meeting on February 23, 2012, the Tybee Island City Council—an active member of the Georgia Wind Working Group (GWWG)—adopted a local resolution to support wind energy development. The resolution is similar to the model resolution that the GWWG developed in 2011.

The resolution encourages educational institutions and wind energy developers to train and utilize the local workforce and human resources of the Tybee area. It also promotes open dialog among local stakeholders, wind developers, and manufacturers. "Timely action by local governments to develop wind resources will accelerate economic recovery and benefit all Americans by expanding our renewable energy portfolio," said City Councilman Paul Wolff.

Tybee Island and many other Southeastern communities expect that the American Wind Energy Association WINDPOWER 2012 Conference and Exhibition will highlight their wind resources. This conference is expected to draw around 15,000 participants to Atlanta from June 3-6. "We are actively recruiting companies in the wind supply chain to Georgia, and we believe the efforts of Tybee Island will help showcase interest in this industry," said David Dunagan, statewide project manager with the Georgia Department of Economic Development. "We plan to have a presence at the Windpower Conference," he added.

Tybee Island has co-hosted events on wind energy over the past 4 years to help educate local leaders and residents about the benefits and impacts of wind energy. The GWWG, under the U.S. Department of Energy's Wind Powering America initiative, planned and hosted several forums with a focus on offshore wind, spotlighting speakers from Georgia Tech, the Georgia Environmental Facilities Authority, British wind agencies, Geo-Marine Inc., and others. The Southern Alliance for Clean Energy presented a recent wind workshop at Tybee as well. Also, largely in response to the Southern Company's application to conduct feasibility studies on offshore wind off the Tybee coast, the federal Bureau of Ocean Energy Management hosted informational meetings over the past 4 years in nearby Savannah.

"The model resolution is just one of many resources that the Georgia Wind Working Group offers to local governments," said Georgia Tech Strategic Energy Institute's Mary Hallisey Hunt, who worked with others in the GWWG to compile technical materials such as a Georgia model wind ordinance.

The Georgia Wind Working Group promotes the responsible development and use of wind energy by facilitating stakeholder collaborations, assisting with resource assessments, and enhancing public understanding of the benefits and impacts of wind energy.