[va-bird] Re: windpower Post article

Concerning the discussion about industrial-scale windpower development and
avian impacts:

It is clear that well-intentioned people can reach different conclusions
about the potential problem. But all of us should agree that there is a lot
we don't know.

Questions need to be raised about the adequacy and applicability of existing
research. Questions also need to be raised about the environmental tradeoffs
and whether wind development in Virginia can make a real difference in
relation to our ever-increasing consumption of electricity. And it's clear
we cannot resolve all the issues in this forum. We need objective and
independent assessment.

Unfortunately, it looks like wind development in Virginia may proceed in a
regulatory vacuum. There is no state-level authority that will insure
effective pre-construction assessment and post-construction monitoring of
wind development. Local zoning ordinances were not written to address
industrial-scale wind energy projects, and rural zoning boards are not
equipped to deal with the issues.

Is there any reason to expect that wind development in Virginia will proceed
slowly and cautiously? Hundreds of turbines are already slated for
construction in surrounding states, and when Congress approves the federal
energy bill, the renewal of tax credits and other incentives will drive the
process in Virginia. It has been reported that officials throughout
Virginia's mountain counties are receiving inquiries from wind energy
development companies. The Highland County Board of Supervisors alone has
been contacted by eight different companies. The company that proposes the
30-turbine project on Allegheny Mountain in Highland County indicates that
the project will "catalyze" 900 mws of additional development in the region,
i.e., 500-600 additional turbines from just one company.

We are facing dramatic change in much of Virginia's remaining wild landscape
and most-pristine wildlife habitat. Is anyone really arguing that precaution
is not warranted? Is anyone really arguing that adequate safeguards are in
place?


Rick Webb
Monterey, Virginia




----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Tom Gray" <tomgray@xxxxxxx>
To: <va-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Saturday, December 27, 2003 9:29 PM
Subject: [va-bird] Re: windpower Post article


> Rick,
>
> Good post, but I think I must pick a few nits (see below).
>
> Regards,
> Tom Gray
> American Wind Energy Association
>
> At 05:56 PM 12/27/2003 -0500, Rick Webb wrote:
> >William,
> >
> >In response to your questions, this is what I understand concerning
> >potential avian impacts of wind development in the Appalachian Mountains:
> >
> >- Migrating birds and bats tend to be channeled along our north-south
> >oriented ridges in their twice yearly migrations. These are the same
> >locations where turbines are most favorably located for maximum wind
power
> >potential.
>
> With regard to bats, I'll accept this, in view of the unexpectedly high
number
> of bats killed at the new Mountaineer wind project in West Virginia (~500
> carcasses found during this year's fall migration, actual numbers killed
may
> be several times higher due to fact that carcasses are small, easily
missed by
> searchers and easily scavenged).  This is a serious issue that is already
being
> researched.
>
> With regard to birds, it is still a theory that is not supported by the
> fatality
> numbers from Mountaineer.  Another theory is that many birds use valleys
for
> migration.
>
> >- Modern turbines can be as high as 465 feet tall, including  rotors
> >(blades). The blades sweep large areas at speeds that are much faster
than
> >birds or bats can detect.
>
> Sentence #1 is correct, sentence #2 unproven.
>
> >- Although cell towers are associated with some bird mortality, they are
> >widely dispersed, they don't have whirling blades, and they have not been
> >concentrated on mountain ridges.
>
> True.  On the other hand, there are many, many more communications towers
> installed around the U.S. than wind turbines, and their number is
expanding
> faster.  Also, most are guyed, and the length of guy wire expands
exponentially
> with height--many researchers feel that the big kills associated with tall
> communications towers are partially the result of disoriented birds flying
> around them and colliding with the wires.
>
> >- Turbines must be lighted at night for aviation safety. Lights may
attract
> >and disorient birds.
> >
> >- Although much is not known about bird migration patterns and flight
> >levels, there are times, particularly during low cloud cover, when flight
> >elevation and turbine height coincide. This would be particularly so when
> >tower height and ridge height are combined.
> >
> >- Wind development of the magnitude required to meet renewable energy
> >objectives will require many thousands of turbines, creating a turbine
> >gauntlet. For example, one pending project in WV will involve 200
turbines
> >along 12 miles of the Allegheny Front.
>
> Whether "gauntlet" is an accurate characterization remains to be seen, and
> depends to some degree on how accurate the theory about ridgeline
> migration is.
>
> >- The new Mountaineer Wind Farm in WV provides recent examples of avian
> >impacts in the Appalachian region, including 30+ birds found killed after
> >one foggy night last August and 475 bats found killed over the summer of
> >2003. Total mortality may greatly exceed observed mortality due to
> >collection inefficiency and removal by scavengers.
> >
> >Although there is much we don't know about the potential magnitude of the
> >impact, we do know that the magnitude of wind energy development may be
very
> >large. If this development is to proceed in a responsible manner, we will
> >not throw caution to the wind. We will go slowly and study the potential
> >problems carefully.
> >
> >Rick Webb
> >Monterey, Virginia
>
> This last is certainly sage counsel.  Perhaps we could also keep a few
other
> things in mind:
>
> - Wind energy has been around for more than 20 years, and our country
> now gets 0.4% of its electricity from wind.  In general, we HAVE gone
> extremely slow, although I realize that the last couple of years have seen
> a sudden flurry of proposals in Appalachia.
>
> - In general, wind energy displaces electricity from other sources that
are
> more damaging to birds and to the biosphere as well.  I won't include a
> recital here, because I dislike being a "bully" by writing long responses
to
> short messages.  I'll just cite one reference, "The Environmental
> Imperative for Renewable Energy: An Update" --it's on the Web and
> anyone can find it using Google.
>
> It is appropriate to insist that wind projects be designed and built in
such
> a way as to minimize environmental impact as far as reasonably possible.
> However, the net environmental effect of wind projects is likely to be
> strongly positive, even if there are some negative local impacts.
>
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