REWI’s largest solar research meeting to date convenes 300+
The Renewable Energy Wildlife Institute (REWI) was thrilled to host the 3rd biennial Solar Wildlife & Ecosystems Research Meeting (formerly the Solar Symposium): Actionable science to maximize solar power, wildlife, and ecosystem benefits, drawing 300+ attendees from the renewable energy industry, conservation/science community, state and federal agencies, and other sectors.
This year’s meeting took place in Scottsdale, Arizona from November 17-20, 2025, and included an information-packed schedule of workshops, sessions, and field trips co-chaired by REWI Senior Scientist & Solar Program Lead Josh Ennen, Ph.D., and REWI Outreach Manager Megan Goldsmith. Read on to learn more about the event, and stay tuned for full Meeting Proceedings to be published in early 2026.
Cross-cutting Collaboration at the Forefront
Connections and collaboration were common themes throughout this year’s meeting – beginning with new REWI Executive Director Troy Hartley’s opening address to the many first-time REWI meeting attendees and continued in the welcome from REWI Board Member Clay Crowder, representing REWI Partner the Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies (AFWA) and the Arizona Game and Fish Department. Clay echoed Troy’s call to put “relationships over partnerships” – building strong professional relationships first and effective partnerships will follow – and underscored the benefits of “early, often, and frequent collaboration” in wildlife management and energy planning.
Troy Hartley (L) and Clay Crowder (R) speaking
Keynote speaker Dr. Terry Root, REWI Science Advisor, Senior Fellow (University Faculty) Emerita at Stanford University’s Woods Institute for the Environment, and co-recipient of the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize for her contributions to the Intergovernmental Panel for Climate Change (IPCC) Assessment Reports (3rd, 4th, and 5th), delivered an impassioned presentation on biodiversity and climate change to open the meeting. In her talk, Dr. Root emphasized the need for science and collaboration to advance renewable energy and wildlife conservation.
“I’m on the REWI Board because I believe so strongly in the science that goes on, the collaboration that goes on. You have to be doing the right science, and that is the science that REWI is doing.”
-Dr. Terry Root, Keynote
Dr. Root addressing meeting attendees
Thank you to all who supported and engaged with this Meeting – including the Planning Committee, sponsors and exhibitors, speakers, panelists, and poster presenters, as well as REWI Partners, Friends, and other collaborators who make this work possible.
3rd Solar Wildlife & Ecosystems Research Meeting Planning Committee
- Aaron Facka, Wildlands Network
- Aimee Delach, Defenders of Wildlife
- Becky Crow, Ohio Department of Natural Resources
- Elizabeth Smith, Tennessee Valley Authority
- Emily Grabosky, Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife
- Emily Truebner, Savion
- Hannah Schul, Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources
- Jamelle Ellis, Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership (TRCP)
- Jasmine Kleiber, Nevada Department of Wildlife
- Jillian LeVasseur, Deriva Energy
- Jim Murphy, National Wildlife Federation
- Jon Belak, National Audubon Society
- Katie Powell, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS)
- Kimberly Yazzie, Stanford University
- Lara Kobelt, U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM)
- Lee Walston, Argonne National Laboratory
- Maren Taylor, Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA)
- Matt Ihnken, NextEra Energy
- Meaghan Gade, formerly Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies (AFWA)
- Mona Khalil, U.S. Geological Survey (USGS)
- Quintana Hayden, American Clean Power Association (ACP)
- Tom Wittig, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS)
3rd Solar Wildlife & Ecosystems Research Meeting Sponsors
Gold
- Environmental Consulting & Technology, Inc. (ECT)
- Savion
Silver
- American Clean Power Association (ACP)
- Western EcoSystems Technology, Inc. (WEST)
Bronze
- Argonne National Laboratory
- Bowman Consulting
- HDR, Inc.
- Longroad Energy
- Magnolia
- SWCA Environmental Consultants
- Troutman Pepper Locke LLP
Supporter
- Olsson
- The Wildlife Society Renewable Energy Working Group
3rd Solar Research Meeting shares the state-of-the-science on solar-ecosystem questions.
Over 40 speakers presented across seven sessions in the two days of core content, covering the current state of research on solar energy interactions with wildlife and ecosystems. There was clear excitement across talks about the growth of research over the last several years, and the new, exciting and impactful questions under investigation. The number of students attending and speaking at the meeting reflected the increase in research activity, as well as an optimism for the future and the opportunities to engage with post-graduate programs around key questions. More details on the sessions (full list below) will be included in the upcoming Meeting Proceedings to be published in early 2026.
“As we approach the new year, I feel truly inspired and excited by the impressive progress we’ve made in research, education, and outreach within the Solar, Wildlife, & Ecosystem community! This year’s Solar, Wildlife, & Ecosystem Meeting (SWERM) showcased this incredible growth and the resilience that defines our community. Even with today’s uncertainties, our community came together to fill a packed four-day agenda with insightful research, innovative ideas, strategic discussions, communication strategies, and engaging workshops and field trips. Most importantly, I am genuinely uplifted and grateful for the many first-time attendees, especially students! This was the first REWI solar meeting for 62% of this year’s attendees! Thank you all so much, and I can’t wait to see what we accomplish by 2027’s meeting!”
– Josh Ennen, Ph.D., REWI Senior Scientist and Solar Program Lead
3rd Solar Wildlife & Ecosystems Research Meeting Sessions
- Keynote Session: Climate Change & Biodiversity
- Session 1: Wildlife-Solar Cohabitation & Movement Ecology
- Session 2: Current Understanding of Avian-Solar Interactions
- Session 3: A Panel Discussion on State-driven Solar Guidelines
- Session 4: Wings and Watts: Filling Knowledge Gaps for Solar, Bats, and Birds
- Session 5: Exploring the Buzz on Solar and Insect Habitat
- Session 6: Community Engagement & Local Policy-making
- Session 7: From the Ground Up: Soil Stabilization Following Buildout
Pre-Meeting Workshops Launch Relationships
Meeting activity kicked off on Monday, November 17th with pre-meeting workshops hosted by REWI and other collaborators.
In the workshop hosted by the National Laboratory of the Rockies (formerly the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, NREL), Definition of success: discussions on agrivoltaics and ecovoltaics definitions, participants discussed merits, issues, and the next steps to inform ongoing efforts to develop definitions for “agrivoltaics” and “ecovoltaics.”
In Strategies for reducing the impact of energy development on Desert Thrashers and an in-depth review of the Thrasher clearance protocol, the American Bird Conservancy shared details of the Desert Thrasher Working Group’s (DTWG) regional survey and research efforts over the last fifteen years. The workshop also discussed strategies to minimize the impact of energy development, reviewed conservation management guidelines, and offered training on survey methods for pre-clearance assessments at renewable energy sites.
REWI staff hosted two workshops throughout the day. Executive Director Troy Hartley, Ph.D. led attendees in an exercise practicing team science tactics to develop an integrated theoretical/conceptual framework for how an ecosystem responds and functions with the introduction of a solar farm. Then, in Solar synergy: assessing biodiversity monitoring protocols at solar facilities to promote data standardization, members of the REWI research team led participants in exercises to share and discuss the biodiversity monitoring tools and methods currently in use for different taxonomic groups, including evaluating identified items for practicality and scientific rigor and designing theoretical monitoring plans.
Field Trips Connect Attendees with Local Wildlife & Conservation Efforts
Following the plenary sessions, REWI collaborators hosted field trips bringing attendees closer to local wildlife and mitigation measures in place at nearby renewable energy sites. Concluding field trips continued the relationship-building and set the foundation for future collaborations, as well as illustrated the on-the-ground impact of science and research on display at the SWERM.
Bird and Brunch with Audubon, hosted by Audubon Southwest, brought attendees to the Gilbert Riparian Preserve at Water Ranch in Gilbert, Arizona for a guided bird walk led by local experts. On the walk, representatives from Audubon Southwest and other local wildlife organizations shared about local birdlife and conservation efforts. 54 different species were identified – a good number for a rainy day!
Western Burrowing Owl Artificial Burrow Relocation Study, hosted by Longroad Energy, Arizona State University, and Wild at Heart, shared details of ongoing mitigation measures at the Longroad Energy SunStreams Solar Energy complex west of Phoenix, including the translocation of Western Burrowing Owls and a biocrust growth testing experiment. Pivoting after inclement weather cancelled the planned site visit, attendees viewed biocrust samples and met a burrowing owl between presentations on the efforts.
About the Meeting
The biennial Solar Wildlife & Ecosystems Research Meeting (SWERM), formerly the Solar Power and Wildlife/Natural Resources Symposium, convenes stakeholders from academia, industry, the conservation sector, and public agencies to share and engage in the latest science surrounding ecological interactions and solar buildout. The SWERM is also a forum for thought leaders to review the state of the science and identify research gaps and priority questions. The SWERM identifies key concepts around balancing conservation and a rapidly growing solar market while highlighting what we know and emerging topics/questions.
This meeting is organized and presented by the Renewable Energy Wildlife Institute (REWI) in consultation with a multi-stakeholder Planning Committee comprised of representatives from the solar industry, environmental and conservation non-governmental organizations, state and federal agencies, and subject matter experts. Learn more about the Meeting at www.rewi.org/news-events/swerm/.