PacifiCorp to study bird safety near wind turbines
PacifiCorp to study bird safety near wind turbines
by PacifiCorp
December 27, 2023
PacifiCorp and its research partners are moving forward with a highly anticipated and ambitious study to evaluate the effects of painting a single wind turbine blade in black on 36 different turbines to reduce collision risks to birds flying near the wind turbines.
"This is an extraordinary partnership of scientists, federal regulators, wildlife managers, a nongovernmental organization, academia, developers and utility companies working together to find solutions to reduce the impacts of critical electric infrastructure on birds," said Travis Brown, director of compliance and permitting for PacifiCorp. The Glenrock, Wyoming, study is being supported through a public-private partnership that includes:
• U.S. Geological Survey
• Renewable Energy Wildlife Institute
• U.S. Fish and Wildlife
• Invenergy
• U.S. Department of Energy
• NextEra Energy Resources
• Oregon State University
Thus far, the team has painted 28 blades and will complete the remaining 8 in 2024.
The study will focus on how the painted blades affect fatality rates for eagles, diurnal (active in daytime) non-eagle birds and bats. Experts hypothesize that both eagles and diurnal non-eagle birds can perceive painted blades, resulting in higher turbine avoidance. Recent research in Norway documented a nearly 72% decline in turbine blade-related bird collisions as a result of painting one turbine blade in black. Painting blades is thought to visually disrupt what otherwise may appear to the bird as a uniform airspace, making the turbine more visible and helping trigger avoidance behavior.
Bats have different visual and auditory perceptions of their surroundings while flying, so the study incorporates a second hypothesis that bats do not perceive painted blades and there would be no change in bat collision fatalities at turbines with painted blades.
For more information, visit www.pacificorp.com.
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