National Avian - Wind Power Planning Meeting IV

The National Avian Wind Power Planning Meeting took place at the Carmel Mission Inn in Carmel, California on May 16-17, 2000. The meeting was the fourth in a series that the Avian Subcommittee of the National Wind Coordinating Committee (NWCC) has convened as part of the Subcommittee’s efforts to address and build consensus on issues of public policy, scientific research, and stakeholder/public involvement related to avian/wind power interactions. Participants in the meeting included representatives of industry, academia, conservation interests, federal and state government agencies, and other interested parties (see Attachment A of this meeting summary for a list of meeting participants).

The purpose of the meeting was to

• share research results and update research conducted on avian wind interactions
• identify questions and issues related to the research results
• develop conclusions about some avian/wind power issues, and
• identify questions and issues for future avian research.

The meeting consisted of a series of presentations and discussion regarding research related to interactions between birds and wind turbines in the following topic areas:

• Site Studies
• Avian Visual Studies
• Mortality Reduction, Impact Avoidance, and Deterrent Considerations
• Other Research Topics.

Presenters were asked to provide an overview of their studies to date, briefly describing the focus of the studies, timeline, the methodology used, data analysis, and, in particular, to emphasize any conclusions that can be drawn from the studies. An open discussion period followed each set of presentations, during which participants explored the implications and significance of the studies for future planning for wind power production.

Towards the end of the meeting, participants drew on the information presented and discussed to identify 1) overall conclusions that can be drawn regarding what we know (and don’t know) about avian-wind turbine interactions, and 2) promising areas of study that have the potential for meaningful contribution to continued improvement in the planning and management of wind power generation that minimizes negative impacts on avian species.