Bald eagles focus of E. Shore wind farm dispute

A wind power group counters that the numbers are based on golden eagle data and are too high.

Adam Cohen, vice president and founder of Pioneer Green Energy, said the Austin, Texas-based company has agreed to raise just 30 of a possible 50 turbines initially to see how often eagle collisions occur. He said the company has cut the size of the project from 210 megawatts to 150.

"We've taken a huge hit on our economics to stay out of those windier areas, but it helps not only the bald eagles but other species of concern," Cohen told The Daily Times of Salisbury for an article published Sunday.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has the power to stop wind power developments, which have been held up in other areas over bird and bat deaths. Sarah Nystrom, the Northeast region's bald and golden eagle coordinator for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, said the measures the agency is seeking could affect other projects.

"It does set a standard for what's required of a company to try to meet those issuance criteria," Nystrom said.

However, Nystrom acknowledged the estimates could change.

The agency used golden eagle data because there have been few run-ins between bald eagles and wind turbines. That's because most U.S. wind farms are in the west, where golden eagles predominate. Only nine bald eagle collisions with turbine blades have been recorded nationally, so the 20 deaths were based on golden eagle data, Nystrom said.

"We don't know if that means bald eagles can avoid turbines better than golden eagles can," Nystrom said. "We are learning as we go, and this project is no different."

John Anderson, director of siting policy for the American Wind Energy Association, said the agency should use separate models for bald and golden eagles.