Webinars for Marine and Wind Energy and the Environment

A recent review of Adaptive Management (AM) has clarified fundamental differences in the definition of AM, and its application to projects or planning processes. This webinar sets out to explore these experiences and suggest the possibility of a common definition and framework for AM that is capable of supporting the needs of wind energy development where there are potential conflicts with wildlife. It will examine how AM has been applied to wind energy development around the world, with a focus on examples from the US and UK.

In an effort to ensure that potential offshore wind development protects the environment and addresses the concerns of coastal communities, the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) is conducting a multi-year aerial survey of wildlife in this area. This webinar will outline the planned scope of the survey project and provide insights in the technical aspects of image collection, processing, species identification and data presentation.

The presenters provide examples of research methodologies for the detection of animal populations in the vicinity of offshore wind farms, describe the technologies used to detect the animals, and, where available, discuss any existing mitigation measures or post installation/operation monitoring.

The speakers present on tools they have developed to assess the potential vulnerability of birds to wind energy development.

This webinar will provide a summary of the issues related to bats and wind energy, a brief history of the Bats and Wind Energy Cooperative, and its current strategy to address bats and wind energy issues.

This webinar addressed the issue of reducing bat fatalities from land-based wind in the US and central Europe.

This webinar will cover The United States Bureau of Ocean Energy Management’s (BOEM) Real-time Opportunity for Development Environmental Observations (RODEO) study.

The International Energy Agency (IEA) Wind Task 34, Working Together to Resolve Environmental Effects of Wind Energy (WREN), hosted a webinar, Compensating the Impacts of Offshore Wind Energy on Birds, on 16 May 2023 from 11:00am-12:00pm EDT (3:00-4:00pm UTC). The webinar provided an overview of the mitigation hierarchy, and discuss compensation measures from the United Kingdom and the United States. 

Speakers:

The initial webinar will focus on the regulatory mechanisms that determine requirements for compensation. The Endangered Species Act (ESA) and Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act (BGEPA) both require compensatory mitigation for individual species if adverse impacts occur at wind energy facilities. Experts will present U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and state-specific policies and regulations, including recent policy updates for compensatory mitigation under the ESA, that influence the implementation of compensation measures.

This webinar will introduce two of the more common methods for instituting compensatory mitigation: mitigation banks and in lieu fee programs. Speakers will provide backgrounds on how each of these mechanisms work and provide case studies under which these programs have been used to conserve wildlife affected by wind energy development.

Moderator: Cris Hein, NREL

Speakers: 

Grouse are considered an umbrella species because of their close connection to the surrounding habitat. The prairies and sage-brush where grouse reside are disappearing as a result of many stressors, including invasive species, climate change, and human development. Thus, any new disturbance or loss of habitat can significantly impact the species. Proper siting of wind energy facilities can avoid potential impacts to the species or their habitat, but it is likely that compensation measures will be needed to ensure there is no net loss.

In some cases, alternatives to traditional compensation measures may provide significant conservation value. Examples include conservation actions that occur outside the region of the potential impact and funding research as a means of compensation. This webinar will explore outside-the-box ideas, examples of successful compensation alternatives, and situations in which innovative conservation actions may be necessary. Expert stakeholders will discuss the tradeoffs of implementing alternative compensation measures and when these may or may not be appropriate.

OES-E Environmental provided updates on progress to date and what's to come in the 2024 State of the Science report. OES-Environmental talked about the important role of coordinating and disseminating research on environmental effects of MRE and practical applications of OES-Environmental resources. Joe Haxel from Pacific Northwest National Laboratory's (PNNL) Triton initiative and Doug Gillespie from the University of St. Andrew's Sea Mammal Research Unit (SMRU) joined OES-Environmental to discuss their efforts to expand our understanding by highlighting examples from their research around two key stressor-receptor interactions - underwater noise and collision risk.

Multiple presentations in December 2015 address technologies for bat detection and deterrence.

Dr. Taber Allison of the American Wind Wildlife Institute presented on AWWI’s work on eagles, including the Eagle Research Framework.

The National Renewable Energy Laboratory's Enabling Coexistence Options for Wind Energy and Wildlife (ECO Wind) program is hosting a webinar on the state of knowledge on bat populations from 9:00-10:30 AM PT (4:00-5:30 PM UTC) on 25 October 2022. 

The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) is hosting a webinar, ‘Understanding Bat Interactions with Wind Turbines’, on 30 August 2022 from 12:00pm–1:00pm (EDT). The webinar will introduce three projects, led by Bowman, the Electric Power Research Institute, and Stantec Consulting Services, focused on using thermal video cameras to monitor bat behavior at wind turbines.

The U.S. Offshore Wind Synthesis of Environmental Effects Research (SEER) project is hosting a free, public webinar series to share the latest research on the potential environmental effects of offshore wind energy development, including minimization and monitoring strategies. Each webinar will feature brief presentations from experts, a panel discussion, and an audience Q&A period.

The U.S. Offshore Wind Synthesis of Environmental Effects Research (SEER) project is hosting a free, public webinar series to share the latest research on the potential environmental effects of offshore wind energy development, including minimization and monitoring strategies. Each webinar will feature brief presentations from experts, a panel discussion, and an audience Q&A period.

The American Wind Wildlife Institute hosted the 17th WREN (Working Together to Resolve Environmental Effects of Wind Energy) webinar entitled, Experiences from conducting environmental research at land-based and offshore wind energy facilities. 

This webinar will provide a first look at GenEst and how it can be used to estimate fatalities at wind facilities.

This webinar featured an in-depth presentation on AWWI’s Eagle Mitigation and Conservation Toolbox, which includes modeling tools that advance the science needed to facilitate wind energy development while conserving eagles.

La Agencia Internacional de Energía en su Tarea 34 de Energía Eólica (WREN, por sus siglas en Inglés)  organizará su 23º seminario web y su primer seminario web en español, “Energía eólica y vida silvestre: perspectivas desde América Latina”, el 10 de enero de 2024 de 11:00am-12:00 pm PST (7:00pm-8:00 pm UTC). El seminario web contará con ponentes de Argentina, Chile y México.

Vea el folleto en español aquí. 

Oradores: 

Working Together to Resolve Environmental Effects of Wind Energy (WREN) is hosting a webinar, Influence of Offshore Wind Turbines on Marine Habitats and Ecosystems, on 3 May from 10:00-11:00am EDT (2:00-3:00pm UTC). The webinar will discuss the state of the science on the impacts of offshore wind turbines on the marine environment, and how researchers monitor and minimize these impacts.

Working Together to Resolve Environmental Effects of Wind Energy (WREN) hosted a webinar on 29 June 2022 from 10:00-11:00am EDT (2:00-3:00pm UTC) to present the results of the WREN Horizon Scan. 

The webinar highlighted results of stakeholder feedback from 294 responses across 28 countries identifying environmental priorities related to land-based and offshore wind energy development. Panelists from several WREN member countries will provide their perspective on the assessment and priority research within the next 5-10 years.

The Tethys team has partnered with IEA Wind’s WREN Initiative to collect information, or metadata, on the environmental effects of offshore wind energy projects on marine animals, habitats, and ecosystem processes. By making this information available, Tethys and WREN aim to enhance transparency around environmental monitoring efforts to progress the global state of knowledge and advance the industry in an environmentally responsible manner.

The goal of the Mid-Atlantic Baseline Studies (MABS) Project was to provide comprehensive baseline ecological data and associated predictive models and maps to regulators, developers, and other stakeholders for offshore wind energy.

This webinar details techniques for monitoring bat activities offshore, in order to determine the impact that offshore wind may have on bat populations.

This webinar will discuss perspectives from both Europe, where wind energy development has existed since 1991, and North America, where development is relatively new, but with hopes of rapid expansion.

Presentations on advancements of the commercial readiness of bat deterrent technologies used to minimize impacts to bats and reduce the need for curtailment at wind energy facilities, and on advancements in monitoring technologies.

Presentations on smart curtailment strategies aimed at minimizing energy loss from curtailment while reducing impacts to bats at wind energy facilities.

New and upcoming research supported by the U.S. Department of Energy on systems and technologies for monitoring wildlife, including birds, bats, and North Atlantic right whales, at offshore wind energy facilities.

Please join NYSERDA on Wednesday, February 9 at 1:00 p.m. ET for an offshore wind webinar as part of NYSERDA’s Learning from the Experts series. A panel of experts will be discussing considerations on nature based design enhancements for offshore wind farms. The panel includes Carl Lobe with The Nature Conservancy, Captain Dave Moni with No Fluke Fishing, Annie Murphy with Inspire Environmental Services, and Andrew Rella, with Eco-Concrete.

Please join NYSERDA on Wednesday, April 28 at 1:00 p.m. ET for an offshore wind webinar as part of NYSERDA’s Learning from the Experts series. Bill Flynn from the Harris Beach law firm will discuss how Article VII of the New York State Public Service Law sets forth a review process for offshore wind projects seeking to deliver power to New York’s electricity grid. Bill, a former president of NYSERDA, is a partner at Harris Beach and is known for his experience in regulatory policies and legislation related to electricity, gas, water, cable television, and telecommunications services.

Speaker Pam Loring is a Wildlife Biologist with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Division of Migratory Birds and works on a range of projects related to the conservation and management of shorebirds and seabirds with a focus on offshore wind energy. She received a PhD in Environmental Conservation from the University of Massachusetts Amherst and a MS in Biological and Environmental Sciences from the University of Rhode Island.

In this webinar, Julia Robinson Willmott with Normandeau Associates will describe the technology behind digital aerial surveys and how they can inform offshore wind development. Julia works to design, test, and deploy innovative technology systems for remote monitoring of wildlife, and she has over 30 years of experience in 23 different countries assessing both offshore and onshore ecological impacts of anthropogenic and natural stressors on birds and other taxa.

In this webinar Henrik Skov, with DHI, will discuss movement models within the New York Bight and explore the concept of movement models within the broader context of offshore wind.

In this webinar, Dr. Gregory S. Poulos, PHD (CEO and Principal Atmospheric Scientist ArcVera Renewables) discusses Offshore Wind Flow Modeling. Greg has developed detailed energy analysis for over 15,000-MW of operating wind since entering the technical-side of the renewable energy industry in 2007, and worked on over 35% of all installed wind energy projects in the US, and the first wind farms in several US states, and the countries El Salvador, Nicaragua, and Guatemala.

Please join NYSERDA on Wednesday, July 28 at 1:00 p.m. ET for an offshore wind webinar as part of NYSERDA’s Learning from the Experts series. Kris Ohleth with the Special Initiative on Offshore Wind will provide an overview of the roles of federal, state, and private entities in offshore wind stakeholder engagement and compare successful engagement approaches. Kris has worked in the offshore wind industry for over 15 years and has held senior positions with offshore wind developers, non-governmental organizations, and state agencies.

Please join NYSERDA on Wednesday, April 7 at 1:00 p.m. ET for an offshore wind webinar as part of NYSERDA’s Learning from the Experts series. Walt Musial with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) will provide an introduction to offshore wind technologies. Walt is a Principal Engineer and leads the offshore wind research platform at NREL, which focuses on a wide range of industry needs and critical technology challenges.

In this webinar, Stacey Snow and Melanie Holtz, with Jacobs, discuss air quality compliance for offshore wind, including permitting requirements, pollutions controls, and environmental justice considerations.

Please join NYSERDA on Wednesday, September 15 at 1:00 p.m. ET for an offshore wind webinar as part of NYSERDA’s Learning from the Experts series. Emily Shumchenia with the Northeast Regional Ocean Council (NROC), and Lyndie Hice-Dunton with the Responsible Offshore Science Alliance (ROSA) will discuss regional wildlife and fisheries research and upcoming regional wildlife science activities. Emily Shumchenia is an ocean data scientist and the Director of the Regional Wildlife Science Entity (RWSE).

Please join NYSERDA's Offshore Wind team on Wednesday, March 24 at 1:00 p.m. ET for the first webinar in this series and hear from Luke Feinberg of the U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) as he discusses the federal process of siting and leasing offshore wind energy areas. Luke is an Energy Program Specialist in BOEM’s Office of Renewable Energy Programs and is currently working to coordinate all renewable activities offshore New York.

In this webinar, Rebecca Karp and Andel Koester (Karp Strategies) will discuss stakeholder engagement and offshore wind. Karp Strategies has supported NYSERDA with the creation of a free, open source offshore wind curriculum aimed at teenagers and educators and developed the agency’s Guiding Principles for Stakeholder Engagement for developers; assessed the feasibility of port infrastructure for OSW; analyzed MWBE procurement in the supply chain in Maine; and supported Atlantic Shores Offshore Wind with their stakeholder engagement strategy.

In this webinar, Gordon Perkins and Kiva VanDerGeest with Environmental Design & Research will discuss the environmental factors that affect visibility of wind farms from shore and methods for modeling visual impacts. Gordon is one of the leading expert consultants in visualization and visual impact assessment in the Northeast and has 20 years of professional experience. Kiva has over six years of professional experience in planning, design, geographic information systems, and visual impact assessments.

The Pacific Ocean Energy Trust (POET) is pleased to launch a series of Marine Energy related webinars and has teamed up with the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) to host a webinar on April 15th from 10 to 11:30am PT featuring speakers from PNNL's Coastal Division.

U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) researchers present preliminary results of two projects examining early-stage technologies aimed at minimizing the potential impacts of wind turbines on wildlife.

Raptor interactions with wind turbines are a concern for the wind energy and wildlife community. Raptors have relatively low reproductive rates and are often protected by local, national, and international laws. The webinar will share information regarding on-going research on raptor behaviour and physiology as it relates to interactions with wind turbines. The webinar is part of WREN’s priority activity to reduce uncertainty regarding risk for raptors at wind farms.

The U.S. Offshore Wind Synthesis of Environmental Effects Research (SEER) project is hosting a free, public webinar series to share the latest research on the potential environmental effects of offshore wind energy development, including minimization and monitoring strategies. Each webinar will feature brief presentations from experts, a panel discussion, and an audience Q&A period.

This webinar includes research presented by Jeffery Lovich, Ed Arnett, and Erin Baerwald on the terrestrial and marine impacts of wind energy development.