Santa Barbara County officials are requiring the operator of the county’s first large-scale wind farm to take new steps to protect birds and bats. Since November of last year, nearly 50 dead birds have been found at the site, including protected species like golden eagles and red-tailed hawks.
The Strauss Wind Energy Project began operating earlier this year, with 27 turbines spread across more than 5,000 acres in the Santa Ynez Mountains.
Katherine Emery, the Executive Director of the Santa Barbara Audubon Society, spoke at this week’s Planning Commission hearing.
“Our goal today is to recommend practical measures to reduce bird deaths in compliance with the Strauss Adaptive Management Plan,” Emery said.
The commission discussed several possible measures to reduce bird and bat mortality. Those included sound alarms and reprogramming an artificial intelligence system that shuts down the turbines as a precaution when it identifies golden eagles.
In the end, though, the commission voted to take more limited steps. These include requiring operator BayWa to enhance carcass surveys of birds and bats, analyzing the effectiveness of its A-I system, enhanced monitoring of golden eagles and studying whether it would help to paint the turbines black.
