Supporting research on impacts to birds, bats and 

habitats from wind development

T

raditional fossil fuel resources used for generating electricity 

emit criteria pollutants, their precursor gases and greenhouse gases1. Wind-generated energy does not. Although 

there have been many life-cycle analyses of wind turbine systems, 

these studies focused on energy payback time and reduced fossil 

fuel emissions and they do not comprehensively analyze impacts 

to wildlife. However, concern for impacts to wildlife, including 

birds and bats, can be significant for wind energy development in 

some locations. In general, siting is a key factor in avoiding and 

minimizing impacts to wildlife.

The National Renewable Energy Laboratory’s (NREL) National Wind 

Technology Center (NWTC) has been engaged in research related 

to wildlife impacts from wind energy development since the early 

1990s. Beginning with fatalities to raptors in the Altamont Pass 

Wind Resource Area (WRA) in California, the NWTC has focused on 

understanding how and why wildlife, particularly birds and bats, 

are impacted by wind turbines and developing ways to avoid and 

minimize such impacts.

DOE/NREL was involved in the early formation of the National 

Wind Coordinating Collaborative (NWCC) and has been consistently involved in all wind-wildlife related activities. Formed in 

1994, the NWCC identifies, defines, discusses, and collaboratively 

addresses wind-wildlife and wind-habitat interaction issues by 

seeking broad stakeholder involvement on scientific and public 

policy questions. Since its inception, the NWCC has hosted seven 

wind-wildlife research meetings. The eighth research meeting is 

scheduled for October 2010. Information on all the NWCC activities can be found at http://www.nationalwind.org/issues/wildlife.

aspx.

Two general types of impacts to birds and bats from wind development are of concern: 

1. direct mortality, from collisions and

2. indirect impacts, such as the animal’s avoidance of an area or 

through habitat degradation, loss, abandonment, or 

fragmentation. 

Currently, the NWTC represents DOE as a key contributor on three 

collaborative research efforts. Each of these collaborative efforts 

includes representatives from the wind industry, environmental 

organizations, the DOE/NREL Wind Program, and other stakeholders. These collaborations include:

1. NWCC’s Grassland Shrub Steppe Species Collaborative 

(GS3C): The GS3C is currently supporting a multi-year research 

effort to study the habitat effects of wind turbines on greater 

prairie-chickens in the Smoky Hill region of Kansas. The 

Before-After Control-Impact study is designed to assess 

whether wind development will cause demographic or genetic 

dispersal impacts to the chickens. An NREL staff member acts 

as Technical Monitor to the Oversight Committee of the GS3C. 

Research is currently in progress; results will be released once 

the research is completed. Information on this collaborative can 

be found at http://www.nationalwind.org/issues/wildlife/gs3c.

aspx.

2. Bats and Wind Energy Cooperative (BWEC): The BWEC is 

focused on studies involving bat and wind turbine interactions. 

NREL is supporting two BWEC research projects: 1) testing the 

effectiveness of changing the cut-in speeds of wind turbines to 

reduce bat fatalities and 2) evaluating the effectiveness of 

acoustic deterrent devices in reducing bat fatalities. The results 

of both approaches show promise in reducing bat fatalities, 

although further research is needed. Additional information on 

this collaborative can be found at http://www.batsandwind.

org/.

Environment and Siting

National Wind Technolo gy Center

NREL is a national laboratory of the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, operated by the Alliance for Sustainable Energy, LLC.

———————————————————

1 Environmental Impacts of Wind Energy Projects, National Research Council of the 

National Academies. 2007

Greater Prairie-Chicken near wind facility in Kansas. PIX17374
Further Information

NREL’s Wind-Wildlife Impacts Literature Database (WILD) is a 

searchable bibliographic database of documents that focuses on 

the effects of wind energy development on wildlife. The database 

includes documents (domestic and international) from journal 

articles, conference proceedings, government publications, books, 

and utility company reports. Maintained by the NWTC, the 

database is continually updated as new publications become 

available. 

The NWCC has recently published an updated fact sheet on 

Wind Turbine Interactions with Birds, Bats, and their Habitats. The 

fact sheet contains data on bird and bat rates at various wind 

energy facilities where data have been collected and is publically 

available. The NWCC fact sheet can be found at http://www.

nationalwind.org/publications/wildlifewind.aspx?.

The American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) is also concerned 

with wildlife impacts from wind development. AWEA is a national 

trade association representing wind power project developers, 

equipment suppliers, services providers, parts manufacturers, 

utilities, researchers, and others involved in the wind industry. 

AWEA and its members are involved in supporting research, both 

through direct funding contributions and in-kind contributions 

including providing project site access for research data collection 

as well as other collaborative research projects. The Association 

has also developed a fact sheet on this topic. It can be found at 

http://www.awea.org/pubs/factsheets.html.

3. Sage Grouse Collaborative (SGC): This newly formed collaborative focuses on wind facility habitat impacts on sage grouse. 

Study design details and selection of research project sites 

is in progress. NREL will serve as a Technical Monitor to the 

Steering Committee of the SGC. Additional information on 

this collaborative can be found at http://www.nationalwind.

org/sagegrouse.aspx.

In addition to supporting field research, NREL has contributed to 

the development of tools and resources and provided technical 

support. Examples include development of the NWCC wildlife fact 

sheets (1999, 2004, and 2010), development of the NWCC Metrics 

and Methods document (1999, 2010), providing technical advice 

on wind turbines and how they interact with the environment, 

hosting experiments on turbines at the NWTC such as early stage 

testing of bat deterrent devices, and technical support and 

presentations to industry, other federal agencies, state agencies, 

environmental groups, and other stakeholders. Recently, NREL 

served as an alternate to the Wind Turbine Guidelines Advisory 

Committee, which developed recommendations for the 

Department of Interior to develop national guidelines for how to 

avoid and minimize the impacts of land-based wind farms on 

wildlife and its habitats.

National Renewable Energy Laboratory

1617 Cole Boulevard, Golden, Colorado 80401 • 303-275-3000 • www.nrel.gov

NREL is a national laboratory of the U.S. Department of Energy

Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy

Operated by the Alliance for Sustainable Energy, LLC

NREL/FS-500-47254 • June 2010

Printed with a renewable-source ink on paper containing at least 50% wastepaper, including 10% post consumer waste.

Photo credits for page 1 masthead: PIX15758, PIX15005, PIX12415, and PIX14691.

Sage Grouse. LuRay Parker, Wyoming Game and Fish Department/PIX17429

Red Tailed Hawk at Altamont Pass wind facility. PIX17329 Research is being conducted to determine mitigation strategies that reduce bat fatalities 

including the application of acoustic deterrents on test turbines. PIX17401