County Works to Foresee Our Energy Future

By Liz Mitchell, The Island Packet, Hilton Head Island, S.C.

Jun. 21–Ten years from now, Beaufort County could have a more effective mass transit system, wind farms off the coast and solar panels on every roof.

While those developments may be hard to imagine now, they were among the visions of county planners, residents and environmentalists during a sustainable energy workshop Friday.

The county hosted the event to brainstorm ways to conserve energy and tap alternative power sources.

The planning department is updating the Beaufort County Comprehensive Plan and intends to add a chapter on sustainable energy. State law requires the plan be updated every 10 years.

Terry Logan, a retired professor of environmental science at Ohio State University, led the discussion.

Here are some ideas that emerged:

–Expand mass transit services so more people can realistically use the system. Add stops, especially along a route to the Savannah airport. Include bicycle racks on the buses.

–Buy hybrids for use as county vehicles or use those that run on biodiesel. Some biodiesel is made from corn, vegetable oil or chicken fat and is more efficient and environmentally friendly than gas.

–Offer tax breaks to residents with energy-efficient cars and appliances. Initiate programs to help residents who can’t afford these new purchases.

–Use more video conferencing to reduce travel expenses for both county employees and agencies that work with the county.

–Shift from drop-off centers to curbside garbage and recycling pickup.

–Add more bike paths around public buildings and grocery stores.

–Require energy standards in county building codes. That would not have much influence in Planned Unit Developments with covenant restrictions. In Sun City Hilton Head, for example, solar panels are not permitted.

–Give tax breaks to residents with solar panels or small wind turbines that generate power. Logan said there is not enough consistent wind in Beaufort County to build a wind farm, but residents could use small windmills around their homes.

–Consider new technologies, including tidal turbines that generate power from the tides. Biomass boilers also can generate power by burning wood and landscape waste.

Logan said Beaufort County couldn’t afford to install such a boiler by itself. It would be affordable, though, through a partnership of three or four counties, he said.

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Copyright (c) 2008, The Island Packet, Hilton Head Island, S.C.

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