The Renewable Energy Wildlife Institute (REWI) was thrilled to host the 15th Wind Wildlife Research Meeting (WWRM): Confronting the Climate and Biodiversity Crises with a Responsible Transition to Wind Energy for 400+ attendees from the renewable energy industry, conservation/science community, state and federal agencies, and other sectors.
Taking place in Corpus Christi, Texas from November 12-15, 2024, the 15th WWRM featured a dynamic agenda of workshops, sessions, and field trips co-chaired by REWI Senior Scientist & Wind Program Lead Dr. Shilo Felton and REWI Outreach Manager Megan Goldsmith, with an opening introduction from REWI Director of Research Dr. Eric Schauber. Sessions were kicked off with an impassioned keynote on the need for equity in energy development from Dr. Tony G. Reames, Tishman Professor of Environmental Justice at the University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability (SEAS) and former Deputy Director for Energy Justice at the U.S. Department of Energy.
Dr. Tony Reames addresses the crowd during the WWRM15 keynote
Thank you to all who supported and engaged with this Meeting – WWRM15 Planning Committee, sponsors and exhibitors, speakers, panelists, and poster presenters, as well as REWI Partners, Friends, and other collaborators who make this work possible.
15th WWRM Planning Committee
- Amanda Hale, Western EcoSystems Technology, Inc. (WEST)
- David Tidhar, Masdar
- Janet Haslerig, Missouri Department of Conservation
- Jeff Clerc, National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL)
- John Oldi, RWE
- Jon Belak, National Audubon Society
- Kate Williams, Biodiversity Research Institute
- Kristen Goland, Avangrid
- Laura Zebehazy, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department
- Laurel James, Native American Fish and Wildlife Society
- Meaghan Gade, Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies (AFWA)
- Nate Fuller, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS)
- Pasha Feinberg, Ocean Conservancy
- Quintana Hayden, American Clean Power Association (ACP)
- Ray Kelly, Clearway
- Roger Rodriguez, Natural Power
- Scott Johnston, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS)
- Todd Katzner, U.S. Geological Survey (USGS)
- Tom Wittig, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS)
- Trish Miller, Conservation Science Global, Inc.
15th WWRM Sponsors
- Platinum
- National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL)
- Gold
- IdentiFlight
- Western EcoSystems Technology, Inc. (WEST)
- Bronze
- American Clean Power Association (ACP)
- Bioseco SA
- BOW Renewables
- DTBird & DTBat
- Ducks Unlimited
- Eagle ILF Program
- HDR Engineering, Inc.
- Magnolia
- Olsson
- Titley Scientific
- Troutman Pepper
- S. Geological Survey (USGS)
- Vesper Bat Echolocation Specialists
- Wildlife Acoustics, Inc.
- Supporter
- Bowman Consulting
15th WWRM addressed the most pressing questions for wind energy and wildlife
The meeting’s two core content days featured over 45 speakers across 7 sessions covering a variety of topics in wind energy and wildlife. A clear theme throughout the meeting was the advancement and progress developing from a variety of long-running collaborative efforts, such as the new USFWS Eagle Rule and the expansion of compensatory mitigation options after years of deliberation, as well as lessons learned on options to minimize collisions for both birds and bats. More details on the sessions (full list below) will be included in the upcoming Meeting Proceedings to be published in early 2025.
“In only our second year back to in person meetings, it has become so clear the benefit of learning and engaging with and learning from our colleagues in person. From Tony Reames’ energizing keynote to the final session coordinated by BRI’s Kate Williams, attendees remained engaged in the valuable content until the end. I’m so grateful to the community of speakers, supporters, attendees, and the event team for make this year’s meeting informative and fruitful. There is truly no substitute for getting to converse and share innovative ideas in person, and REWI looks forward to promoting additional opportunities for peer collaboration at future Wind Wildlife Research Meetings”
– Dr. Shilo Felton, REWI Senior Scientist and Wind Program Lead
15th WWRM Sessions
- Risky Behavior — Assessing and Moderating Risk for Birds and Bats
- Creative Avian Mitigation Solutions
- Eagle Permits, Monitoring, and Population Modeling in a Changing Regulatory Landscape
- Confronting the Climate and Biodiversity Crises with a Responsible Transition to Wind Energy
- Leveraging Existing Data Towards Proactive Conservation
- Smart Curtailment in Action — Results from Real World Implementation on Wind Farms
- Integrating Wildlife Monitoring and Minimization Technologies into Wind Energy Development Processes
Pre-meeting workshops spark collaboration, conversation
WWRM activity started early with three pre-meeting workshops hosted by REWI collaborators.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) hosted two workshops on eagles and wind energy. In Incidental Eagle Take Permits 101 for Wind Energy, USFWS staff provided an overview of the 2024 updates to the Eagle Rule. These updates are intended to increase conservation benefits to eagles as well as the efficiency, effectiveness, and clarity of permits through standardized “general permits” for projects located in areas of low eagle risk, and a tiered approach to customizable “specific permits” for projects located in areas with higher eagle risk. USFWS reviewed the eligibility criteria and application process for each type and tier of permit, along with requirements for mitigation and monitoring. The Eagle Rule Compensatory Mitigation session presented USFWS’ current policy for compensatory mitigation for eagles under the revised eagle rule. USFWS staff discussed the underlying philosophy of the compensatory mitigation policy (preservation standard, durability, additionality, best available science) and presented the tools available to calculate compensatory mitigation requirements for a wind project. They provided an overview of the compensatory mitigation methods that are currently accepted by the USFWS (power pole retrofits, lead abatement), and those currently under development and consideration (highway prey carcass removal, raptor rehabilitation, parasite treatment for nestlings), as well as a presentation of the two “in lieu fee” programs currently authorized by the USFWS to conduct compensatory mitigation on behalf of wind energy facilities. Participants broke out into groups to consider decision-making from the perspective of USFWS through various compensatory mitigation request scenarios that exemplified the challenges the USFWS encounters when members of the public request compensatory mitigation credits for “out of the box” potential eagle conservation activities.
In Distilling the Green-Green Dilemma: Towards Conceptualizing Competing Stressors on Biodiversity, hosted by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and USFWS, wind-wildlife practitioners and ecologists were brought together around their interconnected challenge of navigating trade-offs in conservation. Participants worked in groups (mixed frequently) to try and reach consensus in forecasting trends in biodiversity in the face of climate change and wind energy buildout scenarios – learning that people may approach these potential trends from differing assumptions about the rate and timing of impacts over the next 100 years. Participants engaged in conversations from diverse perspectives about this issue, shared current knowledge, and posed questions for the future, with a continued emphasis on further collaboration to inform the debate.
Spotlighting 30+ years of wind-wildlife collaboration
On Wednesday, November 13, 2024, REWI gathered representatives from the energy industry, public agencies, and conservation/science nonprofits for a celebration of over 30 years of progress promoting efficient wind energy development while mitigating wildlife impacts. Read more about that special session in the highlight coming soon!
Field trips showcase local wildlife
Closing out the week, REWI collaborators hosted field trips for attendees to further engage with colleagues and understand ongoing wildlife research and conservation efforts in the surrounding area.
Birding and Banding at Big Tree, hosted by Bowman Consulting, headed to Goose Island State Park in search of whooping cranes and other birds – successfully spotting two whooping cranes by the waterfront! The group received a banding station demonstration on how birds are measured and banded for research on dispersal, migration, behavior, social structure, life-span, survival rate, reproductive success, and population growth supported by the USGS Bird Banding Laboratory – encountering a cardinal, grey catbird, orange-crowned warbler, and two hermit thrushes, all handled with proper permits and released without injury. The USFWS and the International Crane Foundation also presented on whooping crane conservation, emphasizing the recovery that the species has made, and the efforts employed to deter cranes from energy infrastructure.
Images from the Birding and Banding Field Trip
Habitat and Conservation of Whooping Cranes, hosted by Western EcoSystems Technology, Inc. (WEST) and REWI Partner The Conservation Fund, brought participants to the Aransas National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) by boat for birdwatching at the winter habitat of endangered whooping cranes. The group successfully sited five whooping cranes as well as roseate spoonbills, white pelicans, American osytercatchers, and many other species! In one particularly special viewing, the group got to watch a pair of whooping cranes foraging for and catching blue crabs, one of the valuable food sources the cranes rely on in winter. USFWS and the boat captain provided an overview on whooping cranes, their habitats, and the challenges they face. On the drive home, The Conservation Fund provided an overview of the in lieu fee program the organization hosts in support of whooping crane conservation.
Images from the Habitat and Conservation of Whooping Cranes Field Trip
