Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne announced today the formation of a Wind Turbine Guidelines Advisory Committee. The Secretary is currently seeking nominations for the group which will advise him on effective measures to avoid or minimize impacts to wildlife and their habitats related to land-based wind energy facilities.
By some estimates, wind power could provide clean and renewable electricity to meet up to 20 percent of the nations energy needs.
"We know that wind power may be key to providing a vital new source of clean, renewable energy for America," said Secretary Kempthorne. "But we also know that wind turbines can cause bird and bat mortality and may have other ecological impacts. This committee will help us examine issues such as site selection and turbine design so that we can develop wind resources while protecting wildlife."
The Committee will function in accordance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act and report to the Secretary of the Interior through the Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. It will function solely as an advisory body and provide recommendations on effective measures to protect wildlife resources and coordinate review and evaluation of facilities by state, tribal, local, and federal agencies.
In 2003, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service developed the "Interim Voluntary Wind Turbine Guidelines and advertised their availability for a 2-year public comment period in the Federal Register. The guidelines were to assist the wind energy industry in avoiding or minimizing impacts to wildlife and their habitats when developing wind energy facilities.
The comment period closed in July 2005. After reviewing the comments received and evaluating advances in the science behind wind turbine siting and design, the Department of the Interior believes that additional input would be valuable in developing a revised product, which will also be made available for public review and comment.
Members of the Committee will be expected to effectively represent the varied interests associated with wind energy development and the management of wildlife species and their habitats. They will represent stakeholders, Federal and State agencies, and Tribes; be senior representatives of their respective constituent groups; and have knowledge of wind energy facility location, design, operation, transmission requirements, wildlife species potentially affected, wildlife survey techniques, applicable laws and regulations, and wind/wildlife interactions. The Committee may also include independent experts in wind energy/wildlife interactions, appointed as special government employees, to provide technical advice.
The Committee is expected to meet approximately four times per year. The Service will provide necessary support services to the Committee. All meetings will be open to the public and a notice announcing each Committee meeting will be published in the Federal Register at least 15 days prior to the date. The public will have an opportunity to provide input at all meetings.
Interested parties should send resumes and explanations of interest by April 12, 2007, to Susan L. Goodwin, Office of Collaborative Action and Dispute Resolution, U.S. Department of the Interior, 1801 Pennsylvania Avenue, Suite 500, Washington DC 20006; by e-mail to susan_goodwin@ios.doi.gov or by fax to 202/327-5390.
In 1972, the Federal Advisory Committee Act was enacted by Congress. Its purpose was to ensure that advice rendered to the executive branch by the various advisory committees, task forces, boards and commissions formed over the years by Congress and the President, be both objective and accessible to the public. The Act formalized a process for establishing, operating, overseeing, and terminating these advisory bodies. The General Services Administration is responsible for implementing the Federal Advisory Committee Act.
To learn more about the Interior Departments wind initiatives, please see http://www.doi.gov/initiatives/wind.html. To see the Services Interim Guidelines on Avoiding and Minimizing Wildlife Impacts from Wind Turbines as well as links to the Energy Departments National Renewable Energy Laboratory, please see http://www.fws.gov/habitatconservation/wind.htm.
