September 10, 2015
By:
Walter G. Wright
Category:
Arkansas Environmental, Energy, and Water Law
Arkansas Environmental, Energy, and Water Law
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The American Wind Energy Association (“AWEA”) issued a September 3rd news release announcing a best management practice involving wind operators’ voluntarily limiting operations of turbines in low-wind speed conditions during the fall bat migration season.
AWEA states research has shown that bats are most at risk of collision during this time period.
The best management practice is deemed a voluntary operating protocol and projected to reduce impact of bats from wind turbines by as much as 30%.
The new protocols are based on over ten years of research by the Bats and Wind Energy Cooperative and others.
AWEA states in part:
Despite the potential collective loss of millions of dollars in electric generation, the U.S. wind energy industry has voluntarily committed to changing how turbines are operated during the bats’ fall migration season, slowing blade rotations to fewer than 1-3 revolutions a minute, depending on blade length, thereby reducing the risk of collision. On-the-ground research over the past decade at a number of operating wind farms has shown that will significantly reduce the collision risk for bats in low wind speed conditions when they are most at risk. The expected reduction of overall bat impacts was calculated with data from the research by BWEC and the conservation and academic communities who worked with the industry to identify solutions.
Click here to download a copy of the news release.
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