Energy and Mineral Resources in South Carolina
The South Carolina coast is rich in opportunities for energy generation and mineral extraction. State leaders are interested in the potential for offshore wind energy and the use of offshore sand deposit to renourish beaches.
The S.C. Sea Grant Consortium provides science-based information to help coastal businesses and residents make informed decisions about the wise use of resources and the mitigation of impacts.
Energy and Mineral Resources
Ocean Mineral and Energy Resources in a Changing Climate (2017)
This briefing book from the Our Coastal Future Forum program was designed as an overview of the science and issues around energy and mineral resources in coastal South Carolina. Forum participants, members of the public, used it to gain an understanding of the topic for discussion.
The briefing book provides an explanation of South Carolina’s changing climate, and information about sand resources, coastal erosion control, and offshore energy production.
Coastal Erosion
South Carolina Coastal Erosion Study (2009)
The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the South Carolina Sea Grant Consortium, conducted a 7-year, multidisciplinary study of coastal erosion in northeastern South Carolina.
The study was designed to develop an understanding of the factors and processes that control coastal sediment movement within critical areas of erosion along the South Carolina/Georgia coast, and lead to better prediction of changes and cost-effective mitigation of future erosion and accretion patterns.
Research Reports
Survey of Marine Recreationists’ Attitudes Towards Potential Offshore Wind Energy in South Carolina (2011)
This final report details survey responses from 657 marine recreationists in the North Myrtle Beach and Georgetown, S.C., areas about their points of view regarding the impacts of offshore wind energy. Includes methods, interviews, questionnaires, individual responses, and responses compared across communities.
