Power Line Infrastructure – Bird Electrocution and Collision Risk Assessments and Applying Compensatory Mitigation: Historic Issues Evolving into a New Paradigm for Wind Energy

Power lines are the common denominator for electric generation, transmission, and distribution, whether it involves renewable or conventional energy development and use. Bird interactions with power lines are... [ view full abstract ]

Power lines are the common denominator for electric generation, transmission, and distribution, whether it involves renewable or conventional energy development and use. Bird interactions with power lines are multi-dimensional, and have been recognized over the last 25 years; however, the science in assessing bird fatalities from power line electrocutions and collisions has progressed significantly in the last decade and has become an emerging concern for the wind energy industry as they own and operate many of their own lines. The Avian Power Line Interaction Committee (APLIC) is often cited as a source for conservation strategies, but current approaches in discerning between avian-power line electrocution and collision risks are inconsistent in the U.S. and recommended mitigation can be flawed. It often is not clear what a commitment to “build aboveground power lines to APLIC guidelines” involves or how these guidelines are applied to eagle compensatory mitigation in an Eagle Take Permit. Bird electrocution risks are dictated by voltage, structure configuration, and potential at-risk species. Bird collision risk applies to a range of voltage classes, typically reflecting site-specific ecological factors combined with infrastructure design. Understanding these variables is integral to the ever-evolving state-of-the-art science relative to birds, power line infrastructure, and regulatory requirements and will be even more important as the federal Eagle Rule and compensatory mitigation program is finalized by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Minimizing long-term risks to birds requires balancing regulations, engineering considerations, management goals, environmental due diligence, and associated costs. We will cover these emerging issues for wind energy, the communication challenges, tools and resources available to assess and minimize avian electrocution and collision risks with power lines, how these risk assessments should be structured, and recommended resolutions moving forward.