Audubon Society plans talk on wildlife, wind turbines

Wind turbines that generate clean power typically perch on tops of hills – where birds and bats fly on migratory routes.

“They’re not expecting” wind turbines, said Lynn Sheridan, president of the Coeur d’Alene chapter of the Audubon Society. “And a lot of them die.”

Expert birder and naturalist Mike Denny will address that topic in an upcoming talk, titled “Birds, Bats and Blades: Wind Turbines and Protected Wildlife.” The public is invited to the free event to be held at 7 p.m. Monday at the First Presbyterian Church, 521 E. Lakeside in Coeur d’Alene.

The talk is sponsored by the Coeur d’Alene Audubon Society, which also will provide refreshments. The Audubon Society aims to protect wildlife, preserve natural habitats and promote environmental education.

Denny, chairman of the Blue Mountain Audubon Society Conservation Committee in Walla Walla, plans to discuss the wind energy industry and how it affects native birds and bats. He also will explore wildlife surveys on wind farms, the role of state and federal wildlife agencies and the federal tax credit to the wind industry.

The global wind industry has been exploding in recent years, with 32 percent growth in the worldwide market in 2006, according to the Global Wind Energy Council. The United States is ranked third in the world for the amount of energy generated by wind turbines, according to council figures.

In the last year, the U.S. wind energy industry installed 2,454 megawatts of new generating capacity – worth $4 billion, according to the American Wind Industry Association.

On average, one megawatt of wind power produces enough electricity to serve 250 to 300 homes each day. Washington state ranked second in 2006 for new installations of wind turbines.

Wind has become one of the largest sources of new power generation in the country, second only to natural gas, according to the American Wind Industry Association.