Consumers Energy has proposed a plan for its newest wind farm to limit the number of bats killed by spinning turbine blades.
The Crescent Wind Project in Hillsdale County is 60 wind turbines. Consumers Energy has submitted a draft habitat conservation plan and a draft environmental assessment to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The plan outlines how Consumers plans reduce the number of endangered bats that could be killed and its plans for supporting habitat for bats at two sites.
Consumers needs the plans approved in order to receive a permit for limited, unintentional bat killings by the spinning turbine blades.
“They will have this incidental take permit and the action won’t be illegal. And then in return for that take, they’re doing some mitigation and also some avoidance techniques,” said Georgia Parham, spokesperson for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Over a 30 year period, Consumers would be permitted up to 145 deaths of two endangered bats — 96 Indiana bats and 49 northern long-eared bats. The company said it plans aim to minimize the number of deaths.
“They’ll do that by adjusting the operation of their wind turbines to avoid times when bats are most commonly active,” said Parham.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is taking public comments about the plan until February 27th. To see the plan and assessment and submit comments ,go here and enter FWS-R3-ES-2022-0147.
Consumers Energy said it could not offer a comment by our deadline.
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