Boom in Wind Farms Pose Serious Threats to Golden Eagles in the US

Wyoming is a stronghold of golden eagles where they can soar in the sky on their seven-foot wings. However, it is also a favored place in the US for building wind farms. Studies show that as wind turbines proliferate, bird collisions also happen, significantly lowering the number of golden eagles.

As climate change looms, building wind farms have become more essential to harvest wind energy to power areas in the country. More so, climate change leaves golden eagles double vulnerable to the rising temperatures and turbine deaths brought by wind farms. This gives the dilemma of harnessing renewable energy but making it safe to make still species conservation possible.

(Photo: Unsplash/Laura Ockel)
The boom in Wind Farms Pose Serious Threats to Golden Eagles in the US

Increasing Turbine Deaths of Golden Eagles

The US Fish and Wildlife Service says there are only about 40,000 golden eagles in the country compared to the 350,000 bald eagles. That means they need larger areas to survive and are more likely to get in conflict with humans.

The federal government has tried to curb turbine deaths, which was not a problem a decade ago, while also avoiding the slowdown in the growth of wind power.

Reuters reported that ESI Energy Inc., a subsidiary of NextEra Energy Inc., pleaded guilty in April to the crimes of turbines killing an estimated 150 eagles, of which most are golden and bald eagles.

They agreed to spend as much as $27 million to prevent future deaths, but their case was already the third conviction of a major wind company for turbine deaths in 10 years.

Bryan Bedrosian, conservation director at the Teton Raptor Center in Wilson, Wyoming, said that wind mortality was not an issue before, but he emphasized that it is not the only thing threatening the golden eagles. He pointed out that it only adds to factors like increased vehicle strikes and climate change.

The recent criminal prosecution of the Florida-based power company offered a glimpse into the scope of the problem. Although the company was fined and restituted for the deaths of the eagles in various wind farms in eight states, they remained defiant after the plea deal. They argue that bird collisions are unavoidable accidents and should not be criminalized.

ALSO READ: Newer Wind Turbine Design May Decrease Bird Fatalities, Study Finds

Controlling Impact of Wind Farms on Birds

According to Phys.org, the number of wind turbines in the US has more than doubled in the past ten years, reaching 72,000. Federal officials seek to control the impact of wind farms by making companies obtain permits that allow them to kill some birds if the deaths are offset.

More so, they want companies to pay utilities to retrofit power poles so that eagles cannot be easily electrocuted. They estimate that for every 11 power poles that are retrofitted, one eagle death is avoided.

In 2021, the government released 34 permits to authorized companies to take 170 golden eagles affected by turbines, whether they may be killed, lost through impacts, or have lost their habitats. Wildlife experts also acknowledge that eagles will be incidentally killed in wind farms, so other things should be reduced without hindering wind energy development.