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
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