Wind turbine-related bat mortality is a conservation challenge for wildlife managers and the wind energy industry. Given the increasing demand for wind energy to help meet decarbonization goals, coupled with increasing evidence that bats are attracted to wind turbines, developing cost-effective and practical impact minimization strategies is imperative. “Smart curtailment” strategies incorporate site-specific information to identify high-risk periods for bats, with the potential to provide more conservation value for less power loss compared to traditional blanket curtailment methods. Optimized Smart Curtailment (OSC), developed by WEST, reduces bat fatalities while maximizing power production by curtailing wind turbines when a Bayesian decision tree model indicates higher risk conditions for bats and lower energy production potential. In this poster, we will present results from the first year of a validation study conducted at three operational wind energy facilities in the US. Data sources include bat activity collected with acoustic detectors and thermal video cameras; post-construction fatality monitoring; and wind speed, temperature, and power production data. Preliminary analyses show that turbines operating under OSC were curtailed fewer hours with equivalent conservation benefits to bats as turbines operating under blanket curtailment. We will also highlight key considerations when implementing smart curtailment and discuss the evolving regulatory context and acceptance surrounding this strategy.
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