The Renewable Energy Wildlife Institute (REWI) is excited to share the Proceedings of the 3rd biennial Solar Wildlife & Ecosystems Research Meeting (SWERM), which took place November 17-20, 2025, in Scottsdale, Arizona. This Meeting drew 300+ in-person and virtual attendees from academia, industry, the conservation sector, and public agencies (a record for REWI’s solar meeting) to share and engage in the latest science surrounding ecological interactions and solar buildout. Notably, 62% of participants were first-time attendees, many of whom were students and university staff.
The meeting covered current research on the effects of solar energy development on wildlife and ecosystems, as well as mitigation strategies and on-site actions. Additionally, several sessions focused on state-driven solar guidelines, community engagement, and local policy-making, and the keynote session explored the intersection of climate change, biodiversity, and renewable energy development. These proceedings reflect the core sessions of the meeting held November 17-20, including presentations and discussions among stakeholders. Summaries of the live presentations and discussions were compiled from the submitted abstracts, meeting notes, and recordings of the sessions. Abstracts of the in-person posters and on-demand presentations are presented as submitted by the authors.
Access 2025 Solar Wildlife & Ecosystem Research Meeting Proceedings
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.
The 3rd biennial Solar Wildlife & Ecosystems Research Meeting will be held in Scottsdale, Arizona from November 17-20, 2025. Registration will open in Summer 2025.
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. View more on the meeting webpage: www.rewi.org/news-events/swerm/