# Presentation: 047245

## Wind Power 101 and a National Overview

- Al Manville
- Wildlife Biologist, Division Migratory Bird Management
- Washington Office
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## Background:

- Wind turbine technology not new to U.S.
- 	1800s, Cape Cod > 1,000 working windmills.
- 	Late 1930s VT world’s largest turbine – disabled high winds.
- Wind turbine facilities (aka “farms”) – impacts on birds, bats, habitats recent phenomenon, compared power lines and communication towers mortality documented decades or longer.
- In U.S., first problem bird strikes Altamont Pass Wind Resource Area, CA, late 1980s/early 1990s.   ~ 6,500 turbines.  Problem: blade collisions, guy wire strikes, electrocutions.
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## Altamont, cont.-3-

- At Altamont most impacted:   Golden Eagles, Red-tailed Hawks, and Am. Kestrels.
- Lesser mortality to Turkey Vultures, Common Ravens, and Barn Owls.
- Several hundred raptors killed/yr.  Unacceptable levels mortality continue today.
- Greatest concern: impacts GOEAs.
- Re-powering, current ~ 5,400 turbines.  Replacement:  1 large for 7 existing smaller.  More on Altamont later.

## Partnerships:

- Service involved in partnerships with industries varying periods.
- 1994, President Clinton’s Global Climate Change Action Plan resulted creation National Wind Coordinating Committee (NWCC).  Avian Subcommittee formed – now called Wildlife Workgroup – Service joined 1995.  Manville represented Service Workgroup since 1997.  NWCC and WW “housed” dispute resolution group, RESOLVE (DC).
- Attempt address bird collision and electrocutions power lines, ad hoc committee represented investor-owned utilities, National Audubon, FWS created 1983.  Committee formalized 1989 – Avian Power Line Interaction Cmt. (APLIC) – housed Edison Elec. Inst.  Kevin Garlick (OLE) and Manville FWS on APLIC.
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## Partnerships, cont.-5-

- 1999, Communication Tower Working Group (CTWG) created address bird strike problem towers.  Service continues chair CTWG (Manville).
- Wind partnership relatively new – developing – Service sees partnership approach best way proceed wind industry.  Power line, wind, and communication tower industries, developed voluntary guidelines.  Envision continuing approach v*s*. regulations.

## Wind Industry:

- Am. Wind Energy Assoc. – industry trade association.  Sam Enfield, Atlantic Renewable, Pres.
- Assoc. ~ 684 companies (*e.g., *FPL Energy the largest), Federal entities (Bonneville Power Admin.), agencies (TX Pks. & Wildl.), associations (EEI), consultants (Curry & Kerlinger), NGOs (Environ. Law & Policy Inst.), universities (TX Tech U., UC-Davis), individuals.
- 		Tom Gray: Ex. VP.  Office headquarters: WDC.
- DMBM (Manville) working AWEA since 1997, through NWCC.  Also now involved:   Robert Willis, Rob Hazlewood, Alex Hoar, others.
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## Wind Industry, cont.-7-

- Past decade, wind power fastest growing energy industry worldwide/Stateside.
- Turbine numbers difficult track statistics generally presented **megawatts** (MW) electricity produced, rather number turbines – latter statistic greater concern ornithologists.
- 		Examples MW/state (as of Jan. 2005):
- 			CA: 	2,043	1st
- 			TX: 	1,293	2nd
- 			MN:	562	3rd
- 			IA:	471	4th
- 			OR:	259	6th
- 			NM:	207	9th
- 	Total installed U.S. capacity (Jan. 2005):	6,740 MW in 33 States.
- FPL, Energy (largest U.S. company), GE Wind (largest U.S. producer blades), Shell WindEnergy, SeaWest Windpower – some biggest players.

## Challenges We Face Affecting Resources:

- Wind energy renewable, producing no greenhouse gases, industry likes tout themselves “green.”  Compared mountaintop mining and coal-bed methane extraction, certainly true.  3 challenges facing resources and Service:
**Challenge 1)** ***bird strikes*** blades and towers (nacelles) – rough nationwide estimate, except at Altamont, low: ~2 birds/turbine/yr. (0.33 raptors/turbine/yr.).  Caveat estimate based 12 studies, predominately in W. and Mid-W, studies generally lacking scientific rigor.
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## Challenge 1, cont. 

**Bird fatality/turbine** highest at Buffalo Mt., TN, project (3 turbines): 6-8 night migrants/turbine/yr.
- Concern: **cumulative**/combined impacts from wind, plus all other human-caused mortality factors _could soon_ – if not already – **additive** existing natural mortality.  Want avoid possible other  “Altamonts” – *e.g, *eastern mt. top ridges.
- Service wants ensure mortality stays low, ratcheting down further.
- Concerned which “straw” will eventually break camel’s back?  Which “straw” can we deal w/ reverse current population trends?
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## Challenge 2

**Challenge 2)** ***bat strikes*** at moving and still blades and towers – recent significant problem in E, beginning research Buffalo Mt., TN (estimated nearly 30 bats/turbine/yr., 3 turbines).
- Mountaineer, WV (Backbone Mt.) 2003 bat mortality: 475 retrieved; estimated 1,398- 4,031 killed mid-Aug.- Sept. at 44 turbines.
- Mountaineer 2004: 466 retrieved (7 species, none listed); no reliable estimated mortality range yet.  Strong correlation b/w forested ridgelines, turbines, bat foraging and migration, and high mortality in E.
- Biases: _**searcher efficiency**_ (44% overall efficiency at Mountaineer but varies greatly w/ habitat type) and degree _**scavenging**_ (also varies tremendously).
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## Challenge 3

**Challenge 3)** **Habitat fragmentation**, **disturbance**, **disruption**, and **behavioral avoidance** for prairie grouse and grassland songbird species.
- 		Prairie grouse in trouble:
- 			Greater Sage-grouse:	> 50% decline
- 			Gunnison Sage-grouse:	90% decline
- 			Sharp-tailed Grouse:	stable to declining
- 			Greater Prairie Chicken:	stable, but extirpated 7 States
- 			Lesser Prairie Chicken:	78% decline
- Elevated structures (*e.g.,* buildings, poles, towers, turbines) suggest problem based _observational data_, although little _empirical data_ yet available.  Need empirical studies assess impacts breeding pops.
- Grassland songbirds – 19 of 27 species analyzed – showing significant 70% decline since 1966.  Evenness grassland habitats disrupted, decreasing occupancy.  Problem complex one w/ overgrazing, frequent haying, man-made changes, other impacts.
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## Additional Challenge: On Private Land, When Do We ‘Fish or Cut Bait’ Re: Pre-Construction Monitoring?

- Where pre-construction data lacking or minimal ***but*** where present analysis shows ***likely minimal*** impact to resources.  Where we ***feel ***is problem but have ***no rigorous data*** to support our fears, ***when ***do we walk away?
*E.g., *Horicon NWR, WI.  Proposal 133 turbines, some w/in ~1 mi. Refuge/wetlands.  Pre-construction phase 1 analysis shows minimal impact, previous studies adjacent areas also show minimal impacts.  What are our options: **rigorous multi-year **_**post**_**-construction mortality** and **behavioral analysis** is one.
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## Additional Challenges:  Tax Credits, State Portfolio Standards, and PUCs:

- 2002 President Bush Job Creation and Worker Assistance Act, extending production tax credit Dec. 2003.
- 		Meet tax credit deadline, industry rush land lease/purchase, power 	purchase agreement, and production deadline often w/out critical pre-	construction site monitoring.  Turbines up and running take advantage 	credit.
- Credit incentive: makes wind very competitive fossil-fuel-produced electricity.
- Credit expired Jan. 2004; not until Fall 2004 credit reauthorized, extended only for 14 months – Dec. 2005.  “Race” on again w/ industry to get turbines up and running.
- Tight time lines continuing frustration.  Need extend credit reauthorization 3-5 years.
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## State Energy Portfolio Standards:

- 16 states developed energy production standards and requirements, diversifying portfolios electricity must be produced –  for conservation, competition, other reasons.  Wind 1 option, some states requiring certain percentage energy produced wind by date certain.
- Good thing, but puts constraints use our voluntary guidance, especially pre-construction monitoring.
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## Involvement with States and Counties:

**State Involvement****:  **Public Utility Commissions and/or Energy
- 	Facility Siting Boards.  Frequently 1st step process.
- May be > 1 State board involved.
- State resource agencies may also involved.  State mini-NEPA process.
- Boards limited authority – don’t have authority look every issue.
- Boards issue certificate need or certificate of public convenience and necessity.
- May have formal, on-the-record process – public comments,
- 		objections, interventions, formal hearings.
- Issue findings and order.
- Opportunity FWS participation – varies b/w States.
**Local/County Involvement:**    Zoning Boards, Land Use Boards, 	Conservation Commissions – again, varies b/w States.
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## What’s Going On in Washington, DC – Inside the Beltway?Our Voluntary Guidance, DOI, Congressional, Other Interest in Wind:

- Recognized need guidance.  DOI requested guidance re: Secretary’s 2002 Renewable Energy Public Lands initiative.  Service began develop guidance early 2002.
- Service team 15 Regional and WO reps met 3 days –  July 2002 – drafted interim voluntary wind guidance for land-based wind facilities.  Manville privilege chairing meeting, Robert Willis senior author, Rob Hazlewood provided key input site ranking and evaluation process developed in MT, other members included Mike Green and Bill Howe.
- Guidance released July 10, 2003, open 2 years public review, use, and comment.  Received 4 official comments record to date.
- Service held 2 public meetings/briefings guidance: July 2003 and March 2004.  Anticipate others.
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## What’s going on, cont.

- Sept. 2003 Service responded letter Meyer & Glitzenstein – behalf concerned environmentalists – development wind energy Appalachian Mt. ridge tops.
- Dec. 2003, received 14-page tome AWEA requesting immediately rescind guidance, complaining lack industry involvement w/ guidance, lack sound science, regulatory nature guidance, etc.   Service responded writing and rebutted issues point-by-point March 2004 briefing.  Committed conducting Regional public workshops on guidance at briefing.
- Director released Apr. 26, 2004, memo clarifying use guidance.
- Met Rosebud Sioux Tribe Feb. 2004 continuing discussions proposed development 36 turbines Tribal lands.  B/c connection Federal power grid, and minimum MW threshold, site selection process require least EA under NEPA on Tribal lands
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## What’s going on, cont.

- Met DOI’s Renewable Energy Ombudsman, Ms. Brenda Aird, April 2004 discuss Berkshire, MA (Hoosac), Upstate NY (Chautauqua) wind projects.  Discussions continue.
- March 2004 briefing, AWEA requested written justification 5-mile distance recommendation from prairie grouse leks.  Manville prepared briefing statement/white paper – peer reviewed by 15 experts justifying 5 mile voluntary suggested buffer, along recommendations for grassland and sage-steppe-obligate songbirds July 2004.
- Fall ‘04, Rep. Pombo (Resources Chair) requested Service rescind guidance.  Response yet been signed A/S FWP Manson.
- Reps. Rahall (Resources, Ranking Member) and Mollahan (Approps.) meanwhile requested Service put guidance into regulation, asked GAO guidance audit – currently underway.
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## What’s going on, finished

- Nov. 2004 NWCC bird-bat research meeting raised additional concerns.  Of note:
- 		Dr. Jack Connelly, ID grouse expert, stated Service’s voluntary 	5-mile lek distance metric reasonable but likely not sufficient for 	Greater and Gunnison’s Sage-grouse.
- 		Proposed Cotterel Mt., ID, wind project (BLM lands) pointed out 	certain controversy w/ Sage Grouse leks if project goes forward 	planned, given current pop. productivity about 1⁄2 what needed 	to sustain it.
- 		Europeans developing “sensitivity indices” w/ maps showing 	areas concern where wind facilities be avoided.
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## FOIAs and Suit:

- Feb. 2004: Shems Dunkiel & Kassel (VT): information on specific wind projects New Engl. and all records involved development voluntary guidance.  FOIA Officer refused fee waiver request.  FOIA dropped.
- Nov. 2004 FOIA from M&G behalf of Friends of Blackwater [WV] *et al.* all information bird and bat mortality nationwide maintained by Service since Oct. 2003 – immediate interest wind issues in E.  Response finalized in Jan. 2005.
- Service and DMBM being challenged judicially by M&G allegedly failing provide sufficient documentation regarding earlier FOB FOIA request on bird and bat mortality.  Appeal handled R5 and R9 SOLs and DOJ attorneys, coordination DMBM.
- Richard Wiebe Esq. on behalf Center for Biological Diversity, requesting all records DMBM and WO maintained avian mortality Altamont Pass since Jan. 2003.  WO component of response finalized Jan. 31, 2005.
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## BLM DPEIS:

- Oct. 2003: R6 ES, R9 DHRC, DMBM met w/ BLM review and discuss PEIS developing, siting, placing, constructing, operating wind facilities BLM lands (except AK).
- BLM published Notice Intent *FR* Oct. 2003, held scoping sessions, scoping comments published early 2004.
- DPEIS published fall 2004 – many Service staff commenting.  Robert Willis (DHRC) assigned lead.
- Service comments, overall, appeared intact in final response to BLM.
- Others here been much more actively involved in process – Kevin Kritz *et al.*
*QUESTIONS?*
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