Abstract
The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) has seen its portfolio of wind power projects increase substantially, a trend which is expected to continue. This report is intended to provide expert guidance regarding wind wildlife risk issues, and to ensure that environmental impact considerations are sufficiently incorporated into the IDB's wind energy projects. Guidance is provided in 3 specific areas corresponding to the 3 chapters of this report as follows:
Chapter 1: Efficacy of bird and bat impact minimization/mitigation measures - This chapter is intended as a review of the effectiveness of various measures that have been implemented at wind energy facilities to reduce wildlife fatalities. The emphasis of this chapter is on synthesizing empirical evidence supporting the effectiveness of the different measures, and the applicability of each measure to IDB’s wind energy projects. This chapter was prepared by Julia Willmott (birds), E. Allison Costello (bats), and Caleb Gordon.
Chapter 2: Efficacy of preconstruction collision risk prediction models - This chapter is intended as an evaluation of the value of preconstruction collision risk modeling, as a tool to predict bird and/or bat fatality rates at wind energy facilities prior to construction. The emphasis of this chapter is on empirical support for the prediction accuracy of existing models, as demonstrated by validation studies in which preconstruction predicted fatality rates are compared with observed postconstruction fatality rates. This chapter was prepared by Greg Forcey and Caleb Gordon, with input from a variety of wind-wildlife modeling experts who responded to a wind-wildlife collision risk modeling accuracy survey questionnaire developed for this review.
Chapter 3: Postconstruction fatality monitoring protocols for birds and bats - This chapter is intended to provide a standardized protocol and methodology for the monitoring of bird and bat fatalities of wind energy projects in operation. Essential considerations in developing this protocol include scientific validity, robustness, and comparability of data across projects, and also feasibility for application to IDB’s wind energy projects. This chapter was prepared by Caleb Gordon and Sean Casto, with helpful discussion and commentary on an earlier draft provided by Drs. Amanda Hale and Victoria Bennett of Texas Christian University.