The Clemson University Restoration Institute (CURI) was established in 2004 to drive economic growth by creating, developing and fostering restoration industries and environmentally sustainable technologies in South Carolina.

CURI is strategically located on a 97-acre research campus at the Charleston Naval Shipyard, a working port facility on the East Coast offering worldwide access to wind turbine innovators through ship, rail or road. Anchored by the offshore wind turbine drivetrain testing facility and the graduate engineering center, CURI's campus will become a hub for energy systems testing.

With materials conservation and research already underway at the Warren Lasch Conservation Center , the campus also will include research in materials manufacturing, large bearing testing, lubrication and tribology.

A graduate engineering center will become a landmark building where students, Clemson University faculty and staff, and industry partners will collaborate.

CURI pairs North Charleston's materials manufacturing and assembly process with Charleston's heritage as the nation's leading living laboratory for cultural and structural preservation. It brings together experts and researchers in six focus areas: renewable and alternative energy, restoration ecology, advanced materials, resilient infrastructure, community revitalization and historic preservation.

World's Largest Wind Turbine Drivetrain Testing Facility

CURI is currently constructing the Wind Turbine Drivetrain Testing Facility (WTDTF) as part of a growing energy R&D complex. One of only three such facilities in the world and the largest, it will be fully operational by the end of 2012.

The global leaders in wind turbine manufacturing serve on the Industrial Advisory Board for the Center with the key industry players already requesting time in the facility for testing their next generation turbines.

Additional Restoration Research and Expertise

The emphasis in Advanced Materials and Energy Systems builds on Clemson University's core competencies in multi-body modeling, advanced materials, systems engineering, power systems engineering, sensors and sustainable environment.

• Advanced Materials, Processes, and Systems: The Charleston region is a hub for composites-based assembly; this work focuses on developing new methods and materials to lessen demand on these finite resources
• Submerged Metals: Scientists have developed advanced engineering techniques to remove and prevent corrosion on saltwater-exposed metal surfaces
• Restoration Ecology: The Intelligent River - Linking Water Resources, Land Use, Energy and Climate Change through observation systems to support research and provide real-time monitoring, analysis and management

Competitive Wage Structure

The chart below provides wages typically associated with the renewable energy sector, or visit our workforce and employment page to access a more comprehensive list of average wages by occupation (BLS data).

For a local wage & benefit survey broken down by industry sector and company size contact Hank Taylor, V.P. Global Business Development, at 843.760.4526 or htaylor@crda.org , at the Charleston Regional Development Alliance

Energy Systems Cluster, Selected Occupations, Charleston S.C. MSA

Occupation Code	Occupation Title	2011 Average Hourly Wage	2011 Median Hourly Wage	Employment	Location Quotient*
11-1021	General & Operations Managers	$52.74	$44.26	3,930	0.98
17-2051	Civil Engineers	$32.19	$30.37	1040	1.84
17-3022	Civil Engineering Technicians	$18.23	$18.43	130	0.8
17-2071	Electrical Engineers	$38.72	$38.20	330	0.96
17-3023	Electrical and Electronics Engineering Technicians	$35.34	$35.99	370	1.1
17-2081	Environmental Engineers	$32.56	$27.14	270	2.39
17-3025	Environmental Engineering Technicians	$31.33	$36.91	80	1.94
51-1011	First-line Supervisors/Managers of Production & Operating Workers	$29.97	$27.90	1,130	0.91
51-2092	Team Assemblers	$16.75	$17.27	4,110	1.94
51-4031	Cutting, Punching, Press Machine Setters, Operators, Tenders, Metal & Plastic	$21.60	$18.21	400	0.99
51-4041	Machinists	$19.70	$17.27	840	1.02
51-4121	Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers	$18.60	$18.16	700	0.99
51-9061	Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers & Weighers	$18.55	$17.74	860	0.89
53-7051	Industrial Truck &Tractor Operators	$18.19	$17.17	1,030	0.92
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 9/2012. *The location quotient is the ratio of the area concentration of occupational employment to the national average concentration. A location quotient greater than one indicates the occupation has a higher share of employment than average, and a location quotient less than one indicates the occupation is less prevalent in the area than average.

South Carolina Supports Business

S.C. has been ranked as one of the Top Five most business-friendly states for the past six years by the Pollina Corporation and as "one of the best states to do business" by a survey of site selection consultants conducted by Development Counsellors International (DCI) .

• One of the lowest corporate income taxes in the Southeastern U.S. at 4.6% and no state property or local income tax
• Very favorable regulatory climate

As a right-to-work state, South Carolina's workforce has one of the lowest unionization rates and lowest work-stoppage rates in the nation.

• In 2012, just 1.9% of workers in the Charleston metro area were members of an organized union, well below the national average of 11.3%
• The manufacturing unionization rate in the Charleston region is 5.8%

Reliable, Low Cost Energy

South Carolina's industrial electricity averages 20 - 25% below the U.S. average. The Charleston region is served by two generating electric utilities (Santee Cooper and SCANA/SCE&G ) with a combined capacity of 10,275 megawatts, plus two electric cooperatives (Berkeley Electric and Edisto Electric ).

Greater Charleston is also part of the South Carolina transmission grid, which is served by four generating utilities with a combined capacity of 19,721 megawatts. For natural gas transmission and distribution, the region is served by Carolina Gas Transmission Corporation, a subsidiary of SCANA Corporation.