Great Lakes wind energy plans cause concerns about risks to birds

Oct 3, 2016


The birds at the Tifftt Nature Preserve are very active. The preserve is about a mile away from a row of wind turbines lined up along Lake Erie. Officials in Lackawanna say it has been generating clean energy with little impact on birds.

But, as attention turns to the Great Lakes for wind power, activists and environmental officials are becoming increasingly concerned about the effect it could have on migratory birds.

"Anytime we put any sort of infrastructure on the landscape whether it's a tall building, whether it's a communications tower or wind turbine," said Stephen Earsom  of the US Fish and Wildlife Service. "It's something those birds didn't evolve with and they have to learn to maneuver around."

The US Fish and Wildlife service recently published a study where they used radar to track bird flight around the Great Lakes. It showed heavy migration patterns near Lake Ontario, and areas near Lake Michigan and Lake Huron. 

How many birds actually die from wind turbines in the U.S.? No one really knows for sure. The fish and wildlife service doesn’t have exact figures. But, it is estimated that anywhere from 20,000 to 573,000 birds are killed every year from wind turbines.





Some say, the claim of skewed stats is absurd. Dave Philips is an environmental expert from Apex Clean Energy. The company plans to install 71 wind turbines near the coast of Lake Ontario. That project is one of 10 on the bird conservancy’s list of “the worst places for wind farms."


The fish and wildlife service acknowledges the complaints about data gathering. And is considering new approaches, like permitting.


