First Wind Energy Annual Report Issued By Game Commission

As Pennsylvania and the nation seek alternative sources of energy, the Game Commission has released its first annual report on the results of the voluntary agreement between the agency and 20 wind energy companies who have vowed to avoid, minimize and mitigate impacts on wild birds and mammals in the Commonwealth.

 

"Wind energy development in Pennsylvania and the nation is increasing and, with the creation of the Game Commission's Wind Energy Voluntary Cooperative Agreement, we are gaining more and more information on the impacts to birds and mammals," said Carl G. Roe, Game Commission executive director. "The major question has been where to best site turbines in relation to important migration routes of birds and bats, as well as critical habitats used by birds and mammals. This report reveals which species are most susceptible to impacts from wind turbines and how much mortality is occurring in Pennsylvania."

 

Roe noted that the information contained in this annual report will enable the Game Commission and wind energy companies to make more informed decisions in regards to siting wind projects, as well as mitigation methods for reducing mortality.

 

On April 18, 2007, the first 12 wind energy companies signed the agreement at a public ceremony in the Game Commission's Harrisburg headquarters. Since that time, an additional eight companies have signed the voluntary agreement, which requires the companies to work with the Game Commission to avoid, minimize and mitigate impacts on wild birds and mammals.

 

The agreement also requires companies to report one year of pre-construction surveys of wild birds and mammals in the project area, as well as two years of post-construction monitoring for mortality of birds and mammals in the project area.

 

The data made available for this annual report was made possible by pooling information from the 20 wind energy companies who signed the Game Commission's Wind Energy Voluntary Cooperative Agreement.

 

"As part of this process, we know that three proposed project sites were voluntarily abandoned by wind energy companies due to potential wildlife resource impacts that were brought to light through consultation with the Game Commission," said William Capouillez, Game Commission Bureau of Wildlife Habitat Management director. "Other highlights of pre-construction monitoring during the past year were the discovery of the second largest Indiana bat (Myotis sodalis) maternity colony and the first-ever documented discovery of a female lactating silver-haired bat (Lasiurus noctivagans) and maternity colony in Pennsylvania.

 

"These are real-world examples of how this voluntary agreement has helped protect wildlife and their habitats, as well as reinforced the conservation goal of wind energy companies. In short, the Game Commission's Wind Energy Voluntary Cooperative Agreement is successful and meets with its intended purpose. The Cooperative Agreement has allowed Pennsylvania to become one of the national leaders on determining and addressing wildlife impacts from wind energy development, as well as providing critical data needed to address future wind energy project proposals."

 

Due to all the collaborative effort between the wind industry and Game Commission, Capouillez said that the agreement has and will continue to provide all involved parties with valuable information needed in order to best manage for wildlife at wind energy sites. Those wind companies that are cooperators have set an example that all should aspire to follow.

 

"These very cooperators that have proven to be partners in developing conscientious renewable energy with the highest regard to the Commonwealth's wildlife resources," Capouillez said. "However, the primary challenges that remain include encouraging non-cooperators to sign the agreement; improving communication between the Game Commission, developers, and consultants; and making sure survey protocols are being adhered to.

 

"The cooperative agreement is coming up on its two-year anniversary. This report summarizes what has been learned so far and discusses future efforts. The format and apparent success of the agency's Wind Energy Voluntary Cooperative Agreement has been praised as a clear example of the ability of wind energy developers and natural resource agencies to partner both on a national and state level."

 

So far, those companies who have signed the voluntary agreement are: AES; Airtricity, Inc.; Competitive Power Ventures, Inc. (Iberdrola); Energy Unlimited, Inc.; Freedom Wind Energy, LLC; Gamesa Energy USA; Iberdrola Renewable Energies USA; PPM Atlantic Renewable (Iberdrola); ReEnergy, LLC; UPC Wind Management, LLC; US Wind Force, LLC; Acconia Wind Energy USA, LLC; Global Winds Harvest, Inc.; Penn Wind; Laurel Hill Wind Energy, LLC; Everpower Renewables; AMP-Ohio/MESA; Lookout Windpower, LLC; Forward Windpower, LLC; and BP Alternative Energy.

Act 213 of 2004, the Alternative Energy Portfolio Standards Act, signed into law by Governor Edward G. Rendell on Nov. 30, 2004, requires that 18 percent of the electricity sold to retail customers in Pennsylvania come from renewable and advanced energy sources within 15 years. One of the technologies that will compete for a substantial share of Pennsylvania's alternative energy market is wind power.

 

To assist in the development of wind energy in Pennsylvania in an environmentally responsible manner, Gov. Rendell convened the Pennsylvania Wind and Wildlife Collaborative, chaired by John Quigley of the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, which is a compilation of wind industry developers, natural resource agencies, and varied nongovernmental organizations having a vested interest in wind development in Pennsylvania.

 

The Game Commission, under the direction of William Capouillez, Bureau of Wildlife Habitat Management director, sought to work collaboratively with wind energy developers in order to immediately address the related potential impacts to the Commonwealth's bird and mammal resources, which was the major topic of discussion and concern as noted by the members of the Collaborative.

 

The Game Commission took the lead in addressing the need since wild birds and mammals are directly managed by the agency. The Game Commission and many of the wind energy developers were dedicated to promoting renewable energy initiatives and arriving at uniform guidance, in the absence of comprehensive state regulations, to determine how best to avoid, minimize, and/or potentially mitigate adverse impacts to wildlife resources.

 

These common goals guided the Game Commission and wind energy developers to begin an intense effort on how to best avoid, minimize, and/or mitigate potential adverse impacts with specific intent to birds and mammals by way of setting in writing a more formal Agreement and protocol. Thus, the voluntary cooperative agreement was developed in an effort to standardize wildlife monitoring protocols and wildlife impact review methods associated with the development of wind energy projects in a mutually beneficial and flexible manner and with high regard to both parties' goals and objectives.

 

In order to implement the Game Commission's Wind Energy Voluntary Cooperative Agreement, the agency created four limited-term wildlife biologist positions within the Bureau of Wildlife Habitat Management dedicated to wind energy. Tracey Librandi Mumma is the statewide wind energy project coordinator based in Harrisburg, and there are three field support positions.

 

For a complete copy of the annual report, visit the Game Commission's Wind Energy webpage.