Avian Issues in Wind Energy: Challenges and Solutions

1. Avian Issues in Land-Based Wind Environmental Business Council May 29, 2008

2. “I honestly beleave it iz better tew know nothing than two know what ain’t so” Josh Billings, 19th C

3. Wind Energy and Birds Endangered Species Act Migratory Bird Treaty US DOI Wind Turbine Advisory Committee (http://www.fws.gov/habitatconservation/windpower/wind_turbine_advisory_committee.html)

4. Population trends of U.S. breeding speciesData are from the 415 native species with adequate BBS sample sizes for analysis From: Greg Butcher, National Audubon, State of the Birds USA presentation 2004

5. 1996 What Can Happen in 50 Years? 1943

6. Courtesy of AMC

8. Vivian Stockman, May 30, 2003 Mountain Top Mining West Virginia A “typical” mine encompasses 1,000 – 4000 acres of ridge line during the mine’s lifetime EPA 2003 MTRVF PEIS

10. 2003 Buzzard’s Bay Oil Spill (San Francisco, Black Sea 2007)

11. Wind Energy Birds(and Bats) Possible Impacts(NAS 2007) • Habitat destruction and fragmentation • Habitat displacement • Collision mortality • None of these are unique to wind, but differ by degree, perhaps

12. Bird Fatalities at Wind Turbines(NRC 2007, Jain et al. 2007*)

13. Bat Fatalities at Wind Turbines(Kunz et al. 2007, Jain et al. 2007*)

14. Maple Ridge, Lewis County, NY (195, 1.65 MW Turbines)

15. Maple Ridge, NY2006 (per MW) *Golden-crowned Kinglets: 29 – 43% of observations!!! Most birds found at one turbine = 9

16. Sources of Bird Mortality(Erickson, et al. 2001; NRC 2007) • Communications Towers – 4 million to 50 million • Buildings and Windows – 98 million to 980 million • Vehicles – 60 million to 80 million • Cats – 8 million to 220 million (rural cats) • Wind Turbines – 10,000 to 40,000 (3.1 birds per MW installed capacity; 0.003% of all sources of human-caused avian mortality) • Estimated 10 – 20 billion land birds in North America

17. Bird Mortality And Communication Towers Michigan Spring 2005 Joelle Gehring

18. Potential Collision Mortality • Current estimate = 3.1 birds per MW installed capacity (NRC, 2007) • 1 MW installed generates 2.4 – 3 million kWh per year (AWEA) • Massachusetts 2000 electricity = 52,663 million kWh (U. S. Census Bureau) • If 100% from wind, ~53,000-66,000 birds/year • Mostly passerines, except corvids – significance depends on species, e.g., raptors, state-listed species

19. Needs and Challenges. I Defining preconstruction site assessments – identify risk factors Cumulative and population-level impacts Collision mortality Habitat loss/displacement Defining thresholds – what is unacceptable? Project Size –single turbine versus utility scale projects

20. Needs and Challenges. II Adaptive Management – opportunities for learning Post-construction monitoring BACI (before-after control investigations) Bats – test several hypotheses explaining high bat mortality American Wind and Wildlife Institute (AWWI)

21. Closing All energy use has an impact Increase energy conservation and energy efficiency – reduce fossil fuel use Increase use of renewable energy including wind Site wind projects to minimize environmental impact – reduce resolvable uncertainty