Earth Equity News

New Altamont Wind Turbines Aim to Cut Bird Deaths. By Kelly Zito, SanFranChron,San Francisco Chronicle12/7/10. “For years, wind energy turbines at Altamont Pass have been blamed for killing thousands of birds each year… Jerry Brown warns state budget deficit could grow 12.09.10The largest wind-power company in the Altamont Pass will replace thousands of turbines as part of a settlement with lawmakers and environmental groups hoping to reduce the number of golden eagles, red-tailed hawks and other birds killed each year by the whirring blades... The company will also pay $2.5 million for raptor habitat restoration in the area. The deal to address the long-running debate over bird kills in the country's oldest wind farm was announced Monday by California Attorney General Jerry Brown, whose office brokered the agreement between the state, NextEra, Bay Area branches of the Audubon Society and Californians for Renewable Energy... In keeping with recent scientific research on bird habitats, the pact requires NextEra to place the modern turbines away from ridge tops and valleys, where many of the eagles, kestrels, falcons and owls ride updrafts or hunt for prey. That provision represents a key victory for wildlife groups that say little thought was given to where the original turbines were erected. ‘This is the first chance across the nation to take what was learned about turbines over the last 30 years and put it into use,’ said Mark Welther, executive director of the Golden Gate Audubon Society. ‘We support wind energy, but we need to make sure we don't sacrifice birds and wildlife to have renewable power.’”