1994 National Avian-Wind Power Planning Meeting Proceedings

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

ABSTRACT

PREFACE

GLOSSARY OF ACRONYMS

INTRODUCTION

Meeting Organizers, Facilitator and Proceedings
Meeting Participants
Introductory Comments by Organizers

National Audubon Society
American Wind Energy Association
Electric Power Research Institute
Union of Concerned Scientists

Objectives of the Meeting
Process Guidelines

WIND TECHNOLOGY OVERVIEW

Wind Power Status and Utility Activities

AVIAN MORTALITY QUESTIONS AT WIND PLANTS

Initial List of Avian Mortality Questions

Structural Design of Wind Plants
Bird Populations
Wind Plant Siting in Relation to Habitat
Experimental Design
Management Approaches
General Questions

Toward a Prioritized List of Research Questions

Recurring Themes in Discussion
Condensed Lists of Major Research Areas

The 14-Point List
Seven-Point "Distilled" List
Five-Point "Sequenced" List

AVIAN MORTALITY AT WIND PLANTS:

The History of Wind-Related Avian Research in the U.S.A.

ERDA/NASA 100 kW Experimental Wind Turbine, Ohio
Boeing/PG&E MOD-2 Wind Turbine, California
California Energy Commission Studies
Ongoing Pre-Construction Surveys

Industry Research: Kenetech Windpower

Research Initiated
Recommended General Approach
Discussion

Homing Pigeon Releases
Raptor Behavior and Mortality in Wind Plants
Golden Eagle Population Study

U.S. Federal Wind Energy Program Avian Research Projects

Lessons from Utility Structure Environmental Impacts

Biological Generalizations
Procedural Generalizations
Avian Powerline Interaction Committee (APLIC)
Discussion

Bird/Wind Turbine Investigations in Europe

Bird Collisions
Disturbance and Habitat Loss
Flight Behavior
Discussion

Migration Behavior and Collisions
Disturbance and Habitat Loss

Bird/Wind Turbine Investigations in Southern Spain

DESIGNS FOR AVIAN-WIND POWER RESEARCH

Standardized Assessment and Monitoring Protocols

Preliminary Site Selection Surveys
Pre- and Post-Construction Surveys

Bird Populations
Bird Movements
Searches for Dead and Injured Birds

Conclusions
Discussion

How Important is Standardization?
Methods for Monitoring Populations and Movements
Monitoring of Collisions With Surrogate Tall Structures
Control Data on Bird Mortality

Conceptual Framework: Adaptive Resource Management and Integration of Diverse Studies

Adaptive Resource Management (ARM)
Integration of Diverse Studies

Siting Studies
Existing Site Studies

Generic Hypotheses to be Tested
Experimental Design
Discussion

GIS Approach
Behavioral Data
Population Models, Uncertainty, and ARM
BACI Design

DEFINING AN INTEGRATED PLAN

Principles for a National Avian-Wind Power Research Plan

Principles Related to Management
Establishing a Research Climate
Who Should Sponsor or Conduct Various Kinds of Research?
Collaborative Research

Toward a National Research Agenda

Policy, Conceptual and Research Management Context
General Research Approach
Site-Selection and Pre-Construction Studies
Need for Clear and Appropriate Definitions
Important Research Categories
Research Priorities

Suggested Specific Research Projects
Near-Term Contract Awards by DoE/NREL

Key Elements of any Good Scientific Research
Guidelines for Field Surveys

NEXT STEPS TO BE TAKEN

MEETING SUMMARY

Wind Technology Overview
Avian Mortality Questions at Wind Power Plants
Relevant Past and Ongoing Research
Designs for Avian-Wind Power Research
Defining an Integrated Plan for Avian-Wind Power Research
Next Steps to be Taken

LITERATURE CITED

APPENDICES

1. Meeting Participants
2. Detailed Presentations and Background Material

A. National Wind Coordinating Committee, by E.A. DeMeo, EPRI
B. Bird/Wind Turbine Investigations in Europe, by J.E. Winkelman

Bird Collisions
Disturbance and Habitat Loss
Flight Behavior
Attachment 1. Finalized Studies on Wind Power and Birds in Europe
Attachment 2. Ongoing Studies in Europe

C. English-Language Summaries of Reports on Bird-Wind Power Studies at the Urk and Oosterbierum Wind Parks, The Netherlands, by J.E. Winkelman

3. Suggested Research Projects

A. Standardization of Methods/Variable Selection
B. Mortality/Survival
C. Development of Predictive Models
D. Experimental Design (General)
E. Management
F. Site-Specific Studies

4. Draft Decision Tree For Avian-Wind Power Issues

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Formatted for the Web by:
National Wind Coordinating Committee
c/o RESOLVE, 1255 23rd Street NW, Suite 875, Washington, DC 20037
(888) 764-WIND  (202) 965-6398  fax: (202) 338-1264  nwcc@resolv.org