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Janet Kunicki / West Virginia Public Broadcasting
The West Virginia Senate Natural Resources Committee on Wednesday approved a fee for wind turbines every time they kill a protected bird.
Senate Bill 21 would allow the Division of Natural Resources to collect $100 each time a wind turbine kills a protected bird, including bald eagles.
According to a fiscal note, 6.86 birds and 1.2 bats are killed by a single turbine in a given year. There are 376 wind turbines in the state.
Other protected species include ravens, hawks, owls, woodcocks and golden eagles.
Quintana Hayden, senior director of wildlife and federal lands for the American Clean Power Association, spoke in opposition to the bill.
“The bald eagle population has been booming, as you’re probably aware, while we’ve continued to build out wind energy in the country,” she said.
Hayden told the committee that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service already manages the wildlife impacts of wind projects. The DNR estimates the bill would raise $300,000 a year in revenue.
SB 21 now goes to the Finance Committee.
