Apr 07 - Charleston Gazette, The
After two years of documenting the fact its wind turbines in Tucker County are killing large numbers of bats, FPL Energy wants to focus research this summer on possible solutions to the problem.
Jim Lindsey, chief biologist with the FPL Energy, and Steve Stengel, a spokesman for the owners of the Mountaineer Wind Energy Center, called the change in focus a "logical progression" for the Bat Wind Energy Cooperative [BWEC] the company helped form more than a year ago.
In 2003, while looking mainly for problems with birds, researchers found the 44 electricity-generating wind turbines on Backbone Mountain killed an estimated 2,092 bats. Last year, although the final report has yet to be issued, follow-up research found roughly equal numbers of dead bats.
"The evidence seems clear the bats are interacting with wind turbines," Stengel said Wednesday while visiting the Gazette newsroom. "The question seems to be how do you deter the bats from interacting with turbines.
"We've spoken to Ed [Tuttle, the chief BWEC researcher] about this, and to members of the BWEC steering committee," Stengel said.
"We feel the next logical step is to move into deterrent tests. We have offered the Mountaineer site for testing deterrents."
Lindsey was reluctant to go into detail about the proposed tests, thereby revealing results in the yet-to-be-published 2004 report. "You implement your deterrent - some sort of acoustical device."
FPL's research plans may conflict with the goals of BWEC scientists, however, who apparently hope to conduct a broad array of research at the Tucker County site this summer, much as they did last year.
During a six-week period starting July 31, a group of scientists from across the country conducted a variety of tests, both day and night. Biologist Jessica Kerns of the University of Maryland led a team who searched for dead bats beneath the wind towers each morning.
"We also spent a lot of time trying to find out what was going on at night," Lindsey said. They used thermal imaging, radar, night scopes and audio equipment, gathering 235 gigabytes of data on hard drives to be analyzed for the final report.
That report, originally scheduled for release several months ago, is under peer review and is expected out next month.
Asked if BWEC had alternate plans for research this summer, Stengel said the group has not yet presented its plans. But Lindsey said BWEC has presented a menu of suggestions.
"They've actually proposed seven areas of research," he said.
In preliminary reports from the 2004 research that were published in November, several scientists offered suggestions for follow-up research. Among them:
* Document mortality from spring through fall and the potential for cumulative effects.
* Continue gathering comparative data on magnitude and predictability of mortality events and risk levels under varied topographic and habitat conditions.
* Test cost-effectiveness and conservation impact of feathering turbine blades [turning off turbines] during periods of peak risk.
* Test how turbine sounds and surfaces could be altered to repel or at least avoid attracting bats.
* Collect concurrent radar and fatality data from same facility, for entire season.
* Continue to study flight behavior of bats near turbines.
"The budget can't support the whole menu," Lindsey said. "As an AWEA member [the American Wind Energy Association is one of four steering committee members], this is occurring at our facility. We have agreed to honor our commitment financially.
"From industry, we solve problems. We're not a research company."
Stengel said, "There is a myriad of things we could study. As FPL Energy, we have a unique situation at two of our facilities. We believe the appropriate next step is to do something to change what is happening at these facilities."
FPL Energy made a three-year commitment to help sponsor BWEC research, Stengel said. "The 2003 research cost $300,000 and change. We, FPL Energy, provided a little over a third. The rest was paid through some fund-raising efforts by Bat Conservation International and AWEA."
Stengel said FPL is not prepared to provide as much money this year. "No. What we have told BWEC is we will help fund-raising. We made a three-year commitment. We fully intend to meet that. Incremental dollars above that, we hope to meet that with dollars from industry.
"Our commitment to BWEC was not for $100,000 a year. What we did last year was above our commitment. Since the 2005 research has not been decided, we don't know the costs.
"If the cooperative decides to go in a different direction, we would have to look at it and make some decision at some point in time," Stengel said.
To contact staff writer Jim Balow, use e-mail or call 348-5102.