More than 150 eagles were killed by NextEra, a subsidiary of one of the largest U.S. renewable energy providers.
Wind energy offers numerous positive resources and results. It’s cost-effective, and the industry creates jobs. Wind is also a clean source of sustainable energy, and wind turbines can be built on existing land, farms, or ranches.
However, wind turbines are killing eagles.
NextEra Energy subsidiary, ESI Energy, was fined $8 million and sentenced to 5 years’ probation after being charged with three counts of violating the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. The act states it’s illegal to kill or harm eagles.
The charges arose from the deaths of nine eagles at three wind farms in Wyoming and New Mexico.
In addition to those nine deaths, the company acknowledged the deaths of golden and bald eagles at 50 wind farms affiliated with ESI and NextEra since 2012, prosecutors said. Turbines killed birds in Wyoming, California, New Mexico, North Dakota, Colorado, Michigan, Arizona, and Illinois.
NextEra has more than 100 wind farms in the U.S. and Canada. It also generates natural gas, nuclear, and solar power.
NextEra Ignores Permits, Guidelines for Incidental Take
![2048px-Bald_Eagle_(Haliaeetus_leucocephalus) bald eagle](https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.gearjunkie.com/uploads/2022/04/2048px-Bald_Eagle_Haliaeetus_leucocephalus-e1649712385404.jpg)
According to prosecutors, blades of wind turbines struck most of the eagles killed at the NextEra subsidiary’s facilities.
Some turbines killed multiple eagles, but the number killed was likely higher than the 150 birds cited because people don’t always find all the carcasses. One way to avoid this would be to turn off the turbines at peak eagle flight times.
![wind farm wind farm](https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.gearjunkie.com/uploads/2022/04/Royd_Moor_Wind_Farm_-_geograph.org_.uk_-_2234304.jpg)