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
The WindAction Group (www.windAction.org)
Facts, analysis, exposure to industrial wind energy's real impacts
The page includes a legal challenge of the Department of Energy’s and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ funding and authorization of the Icebreaker Wind Project, a first-of-its-kind proposed offshore wind energy facility in Lake Erie with a price tag in excess of $40 million that is expressly intended to spur future development of offshore industrial wind energy in the Great Lakes Region and beyond. A portion of the complaint is provided below. The full complaint can be accessed from the document link(s) on this page.
This critical study demonstrates the direct connection between wind energy deployment and the dangerous decline in bat populations, particularly involving the Hoary bat, which existed in abundance throughout the United States until recently. The researchers show that White Noise Syndrome is not a factor in the decline across the Pacific Northwest area. The full report can be accessed by clicking the document links on this page.
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.
Highlights
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.
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.
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.
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.
Summary
The attached appeal made by Union Neighbors United Inc. challenges the prior decision to grant an incidental take permit to Buckeye Wind LLC, enabling its wind project in Ohio to pose a threat to the endangered Indiana bat population and its habitat. Union Neighbors claims that the US Fish and Wildlife Service failed to comply with NEPA and ESA guidelines, thereby wrongly issuing the permit. The appellate court agrees that the Service did not comply with NEPA guidelines as it failed to consider a reasonable range of alternatives that would lessen the take of bats in the area, however it upheld the prior decision that the Service adequately complied with the ESA by ensuring that Buckeye Wind took necessary measures to minimize and mitigate the impact on the Indiana bat population.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.