Sweet Water Seas ObservationsSweet Water Seas ObservationsGreat Lakes Observation SystemGreat Lakes Observation SystemCase Study Example-Alternative Case Study Example-Alternative

Energy (Wind)Energy (Wind)Observations at the Land Water Observations at the Land Water

InterfaceInterfacePresented byPresented by

Terry L. Yonker, Co-chairTerry L. Yonker, Co-chair

Great Lakes Wind CollaborativeGreat Lakes Wind Collaborative

June 21, 2011June 21, 2011

The Great Lakes RegionWatershed of the Great Lakes

• Two Nations, 8 States, 2 Provinces

• 42 Million People

• 4th Largest Economy in the World

• 100 Giga watts of Current Generating Capacity

• 1000 Giga watts of Wind Potential On and Offshore

Current Land-Based Wind Generating Capacity

Within the Great Lakes Region

A Wave of Wind Power Development Was About to

Break Across the Great Lakes Region

• In 2006 Representative Marci Kaptur (Ohio), the US Fish and Wildlife Service, Environmental Protection Agency and Others Organized a Conference in Toledo entitled: Toward Wildlife-Friendly Wind Power

• In 2007 NREL and the National Wind Coordinating Collaborative Convened a Meeting of 45 Great Lakes Wind Stakeholders in Chicago

• US and Canadian Stakeholders Formed the Great Lakes Wind Collaborative in Buffalo in 2008

Great Lakes Wind Great Lakes Wind CollaborativeCollaborative

The Great Lakes Wind The Great Lakes Wind Collaborative is a multi-sector Collaborative is a multi-sector coalition of wind energy coalition of wind energy stakeholders working to facilitate stakeholders working to facilitate the development of economically the development of economically and environmentally sustainable and environmentally sustainable wind power in the wind power in the binationalbinational Great Great Lakes region.Lakes region.

Administrative Support Provided by the Great Administrative Support Provided by the Great Lakes CommissionLakes Commission

www.glc.org/energy/wind

GLWC is governed by a Steering GLWC is governed by a Steering Committee and is organized around Committee and is organized around the efforts of five Workgroups: the efforts of five Workgroups:

1. Transmission1. Transmissiono Transmission-Related Policy Options to Facilitate o Transmission-Related Policy Options to Facilitate Offshore Wind in the Great Lakes-University of Offshore Wind in the Great Lakes-University of Michigan School of Natural Resources 2011Michigan School of Natural Resources 2011

2. Economic Development2. Economic Developmento The Role of the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway o The Role of the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway Ports in the Advancement of the Wind Energy Industry Ports in the Advancement of the Wind Energy Industry 20102010

3.3. Environmental Planning, Siting, and Environmental Planning, Siting, and PermittingPermittingo State and Provincial Land-Based Wind Farm Siting o State and Provincial Land-Based Wind Farm Siting Policy in the Great Lakes Region: Summary and Policy in the Great Lakes Region: Summary and Analysis 2009Analysis 2009

o Best Practices to Accelerate Wind Power in the o Best Practices to Accelerate Wind Power in the Great Lakes Region and Beyond 2011Great Lakes Region and Beyond 2011

4. Offshoreo Background Papers on Current Offshore Regulations, Water Dependency (State and Federal Regulations), Public Trust Doctrine-University of New York at Buffalo 2009

o Offshore Siting Principles and Guidelines for Wind Development on the Great Lakes-GLWC 2009

Offshore Siting Principles and

Guidelines for Wind Development

on the Great Lakes

Great Lakes Wind Collaborative 2009

5. Wind Atlas5. Wind Atlas

www.glc.org/energy/wind

•Elevation and Bathymetry

•Transportation-Waterways, Railroads, Highways, Airports

•Wind Speeds to 100 meters

•Electric Transmission Grid

•Habitat (Coastal Wetlands)

•Managed Areas (Refuges, National and State Forests)

•Aquatic Biota (Fish Spawning Areas)

•Avian Biota (Great Lakes Important Bird Areas)

•Access Sites, Military Bases, etc

Environmental Issues Tend to Environmental Issues Tend to Drive Siting and Operational Drive Siting and Operational

Mitigation IssuesMitigation Issues Bird & Bat MortalityBird & Bat Mortality Fisheries ImpactsFisheries Impacts Lakebed AlterationsLakebed Alterations Habitat AlterationsHabitat Alterations NoiseNoise Public HealthPublic Health Other (Social, View shed, Etc.)Other (Social, View shed, Etc.)

Preconstruction Observations and Site Characterization Studies•Wind Resource

•Habitat

•Wildlife Use

•Bird and Bat Migration and Abundance (Nocturnal and Diurnal)

ABP Diurnal Point Count Summary, 2005/2006

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Time

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Common Tern UpCommon Tern DownCaspian Tern UpCaspian Tern DownDouble-crested Cormorant UpDouble-crested Cormorant DownHerring Gull UpHerring Gull DownBonaparte's Gull UpBonaparte's Gull DownRing-billed Gull UpRing-billed Gull DownGreat Black-backed Gull UpGreat Black-backed Gull DownCommon Loon UpCommon Loon DownRed-breasted Merganser UpRed-breasted Merganser DownCommon Merganser UpCommon Merganser DownLong-tailed Duck UpLong-tailed Duck DownGoldeneye UpGoldeneye DownBufflehead UpBufflehead DownGreater Scaup UpGreater Scaup DownLesser Scaup UpLesser Scaup DownRing-necked Duck UpRing-necked Duck DownRedhead UpRedhead DownCanvasback UpCanvasback DownScoter Species UpScoter Species DownCanada Goose UpCanada Goose DownTundra Swan UpTundra Swan DownGreat Egret UpGreat Egret DownGreat Blue Heron UpGreat Blue Heron DownBlack-crowned Night Heron UpBlack-crowned Night Heron DownMallard UpMallard DownBlack Duck UpBlack Duck DownBlack Tern UpBlack Tern Down

0300 0400 0500 0600 0700 0800 0900 1000 1100 1200 1300 1400 1500 1600 1700 1800 1900 2000 2100 2200 2300 2400

One Year on the Niagara-Temporal Diurnal Distribution of

Passing Birds

ABP Seasonal Summary of Passing Bird Echoes by Hourly Sample Session

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ird

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Dusk to Dawn on the Niagara River-Temporal Distribution of Passing

Birds

ABP Project Year Radar Echo Altitude Summary, April 8, 2005 through March 30,2006

7198

9889

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Number of Echoes/Kilometer

Flock Echoes

Bird Echoes

Dusk to Dawn on the Niagara River-Altitude Distribution

May Morning Bird Fallout Near Tifft Nature Preserve in Buffalo

Gallagher Beach

Buffalo Harbor Lake ErieTifft Nature Preserve

Small Boat Harbor Study

Copyright Google Earth

Steel Winds

Small Boat Harbor

Buffalo

LackawannaGulls Gull

Colony

Fall Bird Movements at the Peace Bridge

Canada Geese Double-crested Cormorants

Diving Ducks

Bonaparte’s Gulls

Post Construction Observations•Remote Bird and Bat Migration Observations (NEXRAD, X Band Radar)

•Great Lakes Observatory (Bird and Raptor Counts, Banding, Acoustics

•Weather Observations (Wind, Ceiling, Precipitation)

•Bird and Bat Mortality Studies (Weather Related

•Climate Change (Changes and Timing of Bird and Bat Migration)

Ron Larkin (Weather TAP, November, 2004)

Yonker (NEXRAD, May 17, 2001)

Nocturnal Radar Observation of Bird and Bat Movement

And Abundance

Bird Observatoriesof theGreat Lakes

1. Hawk Ridge Bird Observatory2. Thunder Cape Bird Observatory3. Whitefish Point Bird Observatory4. Chicagoland Bird Observatory5. Bruce Peninsula Bird Observatory6. Rouge River Bird Observatory7. Black Swamp Bird Observatory8. Pelee Island Bird Observatory9. Long Point Bird Observatory10. Toronto Bird Observatory11. Prince Edward Point Bird Observatory12. Derby Hill Bird Observatory13. Braddock Bay Bird Observatory14. Proposed Niagara Corridor Bird Observatory15. Proposed Lake Bluff Bird Observatory16. Proposed Keweenaw Bird Observatory

1

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Existing and Proposed Great Lakes Bird Observatories

Yonker 2011

Saw-whet Owl Migration at Long Point Bird Observatory

Yonker 2007

(Yonker 2007)

Fall Warblers

Winter Wren

White-eyed Vireo

Acoustics Lab

Bird Banding

Fall Migration Monitoring at Powdermill Nature Reserve

Comparison of Call Count data to Weather data

Ratios of numbers of calls at the two sites were regressed against a series of weather variables to determine if they had differential effects on the call totals at the two sites Weather Variables:

Barometric pressure

Wind speed

Wind direction

Precipitation

Visibility

Cloud Covercloud cover

rati

o b

l:ag

543210

35

30

25

20

15

10

5

0

thrush bl/agwarbler bl/ag_

Variable

call ratios of thrushes and warblers correspond to cloud cover

Emma Deleon, 2010

Sonogram

Horizontal Radar View of Advancing Precipitation

Shield Approaching Buffalo

Vertical Radar View of Advancing Precipitation

Shield Approaching Buffalo

Weather as a Factor in Migration Across the Great Lakes

Marine Services Diversified LLC, May 2003

(Yonker 2007)

In the Middle of Lake Erie on April 1, 2007

US and Canadian Coast Guard Spring Offshore Migration/Climate Change Project

Common Loon

Dark-eyed Junco

Gulls and Coyote

Galbreath 2007Tree Swallow

Climate Related Changes to Summer Breeding Ranges

Operational Mitigation•Curtailment Under Specific Weather Conditions (Wind, Precipitation, Ceiling)

•Changes in Cut In Speeds (Bat Mortality)

•Changes in Site Design

Many Observation Needs Could be Met by Wind Developers

Who Agree as a Permit Condition to Share Monitoring

Data and Mortality Studies

Thank You

Great Lakes Wind Collaborative

www.glc.org/energy/wind