The Wildlife Society (TWS) has released its latest technical review, Impacts of Wind Energy Facilities on Wildlife and Wildlife Habitat. The 50-page report discusses both direct and indirect effects of wind power on wildlife and makes recommendations about addressing these effects to better protect native wildlife and their habitats, TWS says.
To prepare the review, researchers gathered and assessed information on world energy demands, wind energy development and technology, state and federal permitting processes, wildlife fatalities, habitat alteration (including animal displacement and fragmentation), offshore development, and issues surrounding monitoring and research methodology and use of technological tools.
‘Clean, renewable and economically feasible green energy sources are worth pursuing, and wind power contributes to renewable energy portfolios,’ says Michael Hutchins, executive director of TWS. ‘We will pursue policy initiatives that seek to persuade developers of wind energy sources to cooperate with scientists and natural resource agencies in developing and testing methods to minimize harm to wildlife.’
The full technical review is available at wildlife.org.
