Concerns About Golden Eagles Thwart Growth of Wind Energy in U.S. West

Fears that wind turbines could threaten protected golden eagles in the western U.S. threaten to undermine several major wind energy projects. Earlier this year, the U.S. Bureau of Land Management indefinitely suspended issuing wind permits on federal land, according to an Associated Press report. That decision has halted efforts to expedite construction of four major wind farms, including three in California, and makes it unlikely the projects will qualify for federal stimulus funds worth hundreds of millions of dollars before the Dec. 31 deadline. Biologists say populations of the eagle have declined in recent years, in part because birds are being killed by turbines. According to a memo obtained by the AP, energy developers must submit protection plans before wind permits will be granted. Five years ago, Congress set a target for the addition of enough renewable energy projects on federal land to power 5 million homes by 2015. To date, only two of 250 proposed wind projects have been approved, and neither one has been built.