ECOLOGICAL ISSUES AND ECOLOGICAL ISSUES AND WIND SITINGWIND SITING

Lessons from two decades of experience around Lessons from two decades of experience around the Countrythe Country

Wind Capacity Operating in the USAWind Capacity Operating in the USASlide from AWEA (www.awea.org)Slide from AWEA (www.awea.org)

Wind Farms in the MidwestWind Farms in the Midwest

Midwest Wind FarmsMidwest Wind Farms

Buffalo Ridge – SW Buffalo Ridge – SW MinnesotaMinnesota

Top of Iowa – NW Top of Iowa – NW IowaIowa

No. Central Il.No. Central Il. NE Wis.NE Wis. Other Wis.Other Wis.

Windfarms in WisconsinWindfarms in Wisconsin

Twn. Of ShirleyTwn. Of Shirley Kewaunee/Brown Kewaunee/Brown

CountiesCounties Twn. Of AddisonTwn. Of Addison Montfort/CobbMontfort/Cobb Forward WindForward Wind Butler RidgeButler Ridge Blue Sky/Green Blue Sky/Green

FieldsFields

Most Wind Projects are in Eastern WisconsinMost Wind Projects are in Eastern Wisconsin

Wildlife ImpactsWildlife Impacts

Mortality due to collisionMortality due to collision Loss of habitatLoss of habitat DisturbanceDisturbance Reproductive impactsReproductive impacts Attractive nuisanceAttractive nuisance

MortalityMortality

Raptors at Raptors at Altamont Pass, CAAltamont Pass, CA

SongbirdsSongbirds BatsBats Recent incidentsRecent incidents Larger patternsLarger patterns

Regional Bird FatalitiesRegional Bird Fatalities

RegionRegion # # studiesstudies

# MW# MW Rotor Rotor Diam. Diam. Min/MaxMin/Max

avav##brbrds/ds/tur./yrtur./yr

avav##brds/brds/

MW/yrMW/yr

NWNW 44 397397 47/6547/65 1.91.9 2.72.7

Rocky MtRocky Mt 22 6868 42/4442/44 1.51.5 2.32.3

Upper Upper Midw.Midw.

44 254254 33/4833/48 2.72.7 4.24.2

EastEast 22 6868 47/7247/72 4.34.3 3.03.0

Over-allOver-all 1212 787787 33/7233/72 2.32.3 3.13.1

Loss of HabitatLoss of Habitat

Initial clearingInitial clearing

InstallationInstallation

Long termLong term

DisturbanceDisturbance

Barrier effectBarrier effect

Motion on Motion on landscapelandscape

Disruption of Disruption of movement movement patternspatterns

Reproductive impactsReproductive impacts

Nesting sitesNesting sites Booming groundsBooming grounds Disrupting Disrupting

courtship flightscourtship flights Loss of fledglingsLoss of fledglings

Attractive NuisanceAttractive Nuisance

Soil disturbance Soil disturbance provides prey provides prey habitathabitat

Lights attract Lights attract insect preyinsect prey

New perching sitesNew perching sites

Wind/Wildlife issues in WIWind/Wildlife issues in WI

Small impacts of existing (studied) sitesSmall impacts of existing (studied) sites Potential impact on bats at Neda MinePotential impact on bats at Neda Mine Impacts on waterfowl near Horicon MarshImpacts on waterfowl near Horicon Marsh Impact of offshore wind in Great LakesImpact of offshore wind in Great Lakes Cumulative impact of many wind farms Cumulative impact of many wind farms

along the Niagara Escarpmentalong the Niagara Escarpment

SummarySummary

There are concerns about wildlife There are concerns about wildlife impacts in Wisconsin (songbirds, impacts in Wisconsin (songbirds, waterfowl)waterfowl)

Other locations have different issuesOther locations have different issues Raptors in CA., grouse on plains, migrating Raptors in CA., grouse on plains, migrating

bats in Eastbats in East Inconsistent regulation means an Inconsistent regulation means an

uncontrolled “experiment”uncontrolled “experiment” Cumulative impacts still unknownCumulative impacts still unknown