Printer-friendlyWind Power
New York's wind resource has the potential to provide more than 5000 megawatts (MW) of clean energy. As of end of year 2007, six wind farms are operating with a rated capacity of 423 MW from 263 turbines in Madison, Wyoming, Lewis and Erie counties. Five other wind farms are under construction in Clinton, Wyoming and Steuben counties and will provide an additional 405 MW from 238 turbines when completed sometime in 2008. More than 30 additional wind farm siting proposals are actively undergoing environmental review by DEC biologists and environmental analysts.
Siting Issues
Although wind power creates no toxic air emissions or greenhouse gases, there are some siting issues.
- Noise and aesthetics: Residents that live nearby to wind-power projects may have concerns about the noise from the turbines or consider them unsightly.
- Environmental impacts: Care must be taken during the construction and operation of wind farms to avoid adverse effects on forests or sensitive ecosystems. Another concern is the possibility of birds and bats being injured or killed by rotating blades. DEC's ongoing research will help scientists and the public better understand the effects of wind-power development on birds and bats.
Draft Guidelines for Conducting Bird and Bat Studies at Commercial Wind Energy Projects
The Department of Environmental Conservation has released for public review proposed Guidelines for Conducting Bird and Bat Studies at Commercial Wind Energy Projects. These guidelines inform potential wind developers of the information DEC needs about wind farm sites to assess impacts to birds and bats. The guidelines were developed through a stakeholder process sponsored by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority which included industry representatives as well as bird and bat biologists from government agencies, academia and non-governmental environmental groups.
Wind energy development is an important component of New York's clean renewable energy initiative as well as of New York's ability to achieve the Renewable Portfolio Standard of twenty-five percent (25%) of energy produced from renewable sources by the year 2013. With increased construction of wind turbines comes increased potential for birds and bats to collide with the towers and rotating blades. The proposed guidelines outline DEC's recommendations to commercial wind energy developers on how to characterize bird and bat resources at wind energy sites and how to document and estimate bird and bat mortality resulting from collisions with turbines. The protocols in the guidelines are intended to provide comparability of data collection among sites and between years so that the information from each site contributes to a statewide understanding of the ecological effects of wind energy generation. Protocols for both pre-construction studies and post-construction monitoring are included.
The guidelines (PDF, 135 Kb) are now available for review. Comments will be received until March 7, 2008 via mail to Brianna Gary, NYSDEC Bureau of Habitat, 625 Broadway 5th Floor, Albany, NY 12233-4756 or via email. To provide comments or for further information, contact the Habitat Protection Section mailbox.
