All forms of human development — including energy projects, fossil fuel extraction, highways, airports and buildings — have some impact on land and wildlife, but science can determine which projects and resources best minimize impact. Let’s start with some facts and science surrounding certain forms of development. According to the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, hundreds of millions of birds are killed each year by building collisions. Household cats kill about as many birds each year. Pesticides, vehicular collisions, communication and transmission towers, and oil and wastewater pits are each annually responsible for killing birds in the millions. Wind turbines? Less than 0.003 percent of annual avian mortality is caused by wind energy generation — around 100,000 birds.

Do relatively small avian mortality numbers associated with wind energy make it okay to move onward with business as usual? Certainly not, especially when incidental take involves critical species like our national symbol. That’s why wind industries take their impact on the natural world very seriously. As a result, the wind industry has been very successful in protecting wildlife — bald and golden eagles included — through improved siting practices and expects advancements in this area to further reduce impacts in the future.