This important letter to the Hawaii PUC warns that wind projects operating in the State are impacting endangered species. To address this situation, US FWS askes the PUC to delay approval of any new wind facility contracts until the proponents make the time to meet with the Service. A portion of the letter is provided below. The full letter can be accessed by selecting the documents link(s) on this page.

Impact on Wildlife Impact on Bats USA Hawaii

This important study provides the most complete dataset of bat flight height distribution. Highlights include:

Impact on Bats

Highlights

Impact on Bats USA

This important paper examines existing literature of recorded bird/bat collisions with wind turbines and relates collision rates to species-level traits and characteristics of the turbines involved. 

Impact on Birds Impact on Bats

This brief, filed before the Ohio Court of Common Pleas in Franklin County, Ohio, responds to Iberdrola's (Avangrid Renewables) action to stop any public disclose of bird/bat mortality data at its Blue Creek wind facility. Iberdrola has argued that the number of birds and bats killed by its turbines is a “trade secret” protected under Ohio law. The introduction and summary of arguments for why Iberdrola's claims are not supported by Ohio law are provided below. The full brief can be accessed by clicking the links on this page. The original complaint can be found here. 

Impact on Birds Impact on Bats Legal Ohio

This important paper models the mortality risk of migratory bats due to wind turbine installations. The abstract and introduction of the paper are provided on this page. The full paper can be accessed from the links on this page.

Impact on Bats

This crtical study found that white-nose syndrome combined with wind turbine mortality had a greater impact on depressing bat populations than either alone. The abstract of the paper is provided below. The full paper can be accessed by clicking the links on this page. 

Impact on Bats USA

Summary

Impact on Bats UK

The Ontario Environmental Review Tribunal released this decision partially granting an appeal of the Province's decision to approve the White Pines wind energy facility. The panel upheld the appeal because of the risk of serious and irreversible harm to the Little Brown Bat and Blanding’s Turtle. The White Pines wind facility, as proposed, consists of 29 wind turbines with a nameplate capacity of 59.45 megawatts (MW). The Project will be located within the ward of South Marysburgh and a small portion of Athol, Prince Edward County. The background details of the case before the Tribunal are provided below. The full decision can be accessed by clicking the links on this page.

Impact on Wildlife Impact on Bats Ontario

This new study examines bat mortality events including impacts from operating wind energy facilities. The global expansion of industrial wind energy production has resulted in multiple fatalities reported from wind turbines in North America, Europe, South America, Africa, and Australia, most during the past decade (See Appendix S6 of the report). Estimates that include bias corrections range to thousands of bat deaths annually at some facilities. Cumulative deaths of bats at turbines tabulated for Europe for the period 2003–2013 involved 5626 bats of 27 species in 18 countries, only a fraction of the likely mortality. In some regions, deaths of some species at wind turbines far exceed other known sources of mortality (Cryan 2011). Causes of susceptibility to wind turbines are not fully understood. To acess the full report click the links on this page.

Impact on Bats

This important paper summarizes the known impacts of wind turbines on bats worldwide. More importantly, the paper explains how limited information is on the impacts and the discontinuity of studies conducted by region and country. The abstract is provided below. The full paper can be downloaded from the links on this page.

Impact on Bats

This important study concludes that more than 250,000 bats are killed annually due to interactions with German wind turbines, and total losses may account for more than two million killed bats over the past 10 years, if mitigation measures were not practiced. The abstract to the paper is provided below. The full paper can be accessed by clicking the links on this page.

Impact on Bats Germany

This important paper published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences examines the unprecedented numbers of tree-roosting bat fatalities at operating wind turbine facilities and the behavior of the bats near the turbines. The abstract of the paper along with the significance of the findings are provided below. The full paper can be accessed by clicking the links on this page.  

Impact on Bats USA

In this recent study, researchers present a comprehensive study on the breeding provenance of endangered and protected noctule bats killed at German wind turbines, showing that individuals from local and distant populations are among the recorded fatalities. The results provide a first step on the way towards an evaluation on how bat fatalities at wind turbines might impact local and regional populations in migratory bat species. The abstract of the paper is provided below. The full paper can be accessed by clicking the link(s) on this page.

Impact on Bats Europe Germany

This important paper examines bat movement and foraging offshore along the United States eastern shore. The authors raise the concerns that migratory bats are at risk of mortality due to offshore wind turbines. The abstract and a portion of the paper's background section is provided below. The full paper can be accessed by clicking the links on this page.

Impact on Bats Offshore Wind USA

The development and expansion of wind energy facilities is a key threat to bat populations in North America. Dead bats are being found underneath wind turbines across North America, and bat fatalities have been documented at almost all of the wind facilities at which thorough bat surveys have been conducted. This paper examines the scale of the problem. The abstract and conclusions of the paper are provided below. The full paper can be accessed at the links on this page.

Impact on Bats USA

The Sheffield Wind Energy facility, a 40 megawatt project that went into service in October 2011, released the first season of bird/bat mortality. Total bird fatality estimates for the project site for the entire season was 211 (95% CI: 147, 321), with an estimated 13.17 birds killed per turbine (95% CI: 9.20, 20.05). A total of 87 bats of three species from 1 April-31 October, all of which were migratory tree-roosting bats. Bat carcasses were found at all 16 turbines. The full report can be found by clicking on the links at the bottom of this page.

Impact on Birds Impact on Bats Vermont

This report from Boston University is about a year old but well worth the read. "For such small animals, bats have unusually low reproductive rates, with an average mother producing only one or two young each year. At this rate, it could take decades to reverse dramatic losses to bat populations. The hoary bat, one of the most commonly killed species by wind turbines in North America, may not be able to sustain anticipated losses to its population within the next ten years."

Impact on Bats

This important study provides insight into the seasonal timing of mating readiness in bat species most affected by wind turbines and whether this is a factor in the bats being killed at project sites. The abstract of the study is provided below. The full report can be accessed by clicking the links on this page.

Impact on Bats

This document, prepared in cooperation with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, provides a current review of bat mortality due to wind turbines. The executive summary is shown below. The full report can be accessed by selecting the link at the bottom of the page.

Impact on Bats USA