Abstract
An expanded role for wind-generated electricity is a leading component of the strategy for reducing future climate change impacts on wildlife and their habitat. Wind energy development and operation, like all human activity, can have adverse impacts on wildlife and habitat. Wind-wildlife stakeholders including industry, government, academic, and the conservation/science community have made great strides towards understanding and minimizing wind energy’s wildlife impacts, but uncertainties remain. In 2017, AWWI published a National Wind Wildlife Research Plan to identify and prioritize key areas where additional, strategically targeted research investments are needed to advance: 1) Understanding of the nature and magnitude of the impacts of wind energy on wildlife and habitat; and 2) The development, evaluation, and widespread application of strategies to avoid, minimize, and compensate for those impacts when necessary to conserve healthy wildlife populations. This updated Plan is a refresh of the 2017 document and includes an updated synthesis of research priorities based on the state-of-the-science for wind-wildlife impacts and efforts to avoid, minimize, and compensate for those impacts. This Plan outlines specific topics where additional, focused research investments are needed, and highlights AWWI’s focus and the anticipated outcomes over the next 3-5 years, aiming to ensure that priorities are appropriate to the pace and scale of research to achieve the development of wind energy needed over the next 10-20 years to mitigate climate change while minimizing the wildlife impacts of this development. Priority research questions outlined in this Plan focus on topics related to bats, eagles, migratory birds, and habitat-sensitive species including prairie grouse where: 1) Concern exists but more data is needed to answer questions about risk and address regulatory issues; 2) Minimization is needed in light of population-level impacts; 3) Research can be structured to promote data pooling; and 4) Substantial progress can be made in 3-5 years with current resources. AWWI’s specific priorities leverage AWWI’s expertise, resources, and extensive network of partnerships, and will support development and evaluation of risk minimization technologies and strategies for raptors and bats; improve understanding of impacts and risk factors for birds, bats, and grouse; and identify and evaluate management practices and offset options for key species, resulting in improved siting and minimization strategies that improve conservation and reduce mitigation costs.