Protecting cave bats: Wisconsin DNR proposes wind turbine restrictions
Credit: By Vanessa Kjeldsen · Published: Jan. 3, 2025 at wmtv15news.com ~~
Wisconsin’s cave bats are in rapid decline. Now the DNR is looking at new restrictions on wind turbines to help save the bats.
Cave bats serve an important role in Wisconsin’s ecosystem by eating biting insects and other pests, but they’re also under threat.
“Unfortunately, when you have a bat that’s very tiny, that gets hit by a very large turbine blade, they end up dying,” Stacy Rowe, a conservation biologist at the Wisconsin DNR said.
The fungal disease white-nose syndrome has been devastating Wisconsin’s cave bats for over a decade. Now, wind turbines are another detriment.
“For some unknown reason,” Rowe said, “bats tend to be drawn towards wind turbines, whether it’s because they look like trees or some other reason.”
Knowing that bats do not like to fly in high winds, the DNR is proposing wind turbine cut-in speeds. Essentially, wind turbines would not be allowed to spin until the wind reaches a high enough speed that bats would be less likely to be out flying.
“Research with wind turbines and bats has shown that curtailment has really had a positive impact on bats,” Rowe said.
The curtailment would focus on what the DNR calls bat priority areas– where bats are mainly concentrated in the Northeast and Southwest of the state.
“Most notably near bat hibernaculum caves and maternity roosts, those cut-in speeds are going to be higher” Rowe said.
As for how this would impact wind farms and renewable energy companies– the DNR says they’re still in contact and collecting feedback.
In a statement, an Alliant Energy spokesperson told WMTV 15 the company is, “committed to environmental stewardship” and are “currently reviewing the proposed measure.”
WEC Energy Group responded similarly. Their spokesperson wrote the group is “reviewing the DNR’s draft policy” and “will provide feedback.”
The DNR is accepting public comment on this draft policy until Jan. 15.
“Our ultimate goal in this is to recognize that we need more clean renewable energy,” Rowe said. “We also want to be protecting our bat species.”
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