Where Eagles Die

WHERE EAGLES DIE – This week wind energy company NextEra got slapped with $8 million in fines and five years probation after its windmills killed at least 150 eagles over the past decade.

NextEra subsidiary ESI Energy pleaded guilty to three counts of violating the Migratory Bird Treaty Act with the deaths of eagles at three of its wind farms in Wyoming and New Mexico. In addition, golden and bald eagles were killed at ESI wind farms in eight states in the West and Midwest.

Prosecutors said the company didn’t take steps to prevent bird collisions, nor did it obtain the permits required by law when eagles are threatened. A NextExtra spokesman said the company didn’t know permits were required for unintentional bird deaths.

Because they pleaded guilty, the company can simply pay the fine and endure the probation without fear of future prosecution. Not much of a punishment when you think of the hundreds of millions of dollars in federal tax credits NextEra affiliates have received for producing wind power.

In the US about 1.17 million birds are killed by wind turbines every year. That’s a lot, but compared to the six million or so killed each year by communication towers, the 75 million killed by automobiles, the 80 million killed by pesticides, or the one billion (!) killed by cats – not so much.

Still, there are things we can do to minimize the danger to our winged friends. ESI will spend up to $27 million on bird-murder prevention during its probationary period, including measures like shutting down turbines when eagles are likely to be present. Wind farm sites can and should be carefully chosen to avoid heavy bird migration traffic. Some wind companies have reduced collisions significantly by simply painting one turbine blade black.

Photo credit: Anda Mikelsone / Shutterstock