Â鶹´«Ã½

Skip to main content
Start of main content

Using cutting edge techniques to advance wind energy

At a Glance

  • 5

    Years of Wildlife Studies

Location
Grafton County, New Hampshire
Offices

Groton Wind Project

The Groton Wind Project in New Hampshire has been doing more than generating renewable energy since its construction in 2012¡ªit has also been supporting cutting edge science to evaluate wind turbine operations¡¯ pre- and post-construction effects on birds and bats.

When a challenging state permitting process provided the opportunity to evaluate birds and bats at heights and time periods when standard visual observation surveys were not possible, we got creative using a combination of acoustic bat detectors, nocturnal radar units, and satellite telemetry equipment to evaluate potential risk. We set out to demonstrate that the project did not have an unreasonable adverse impact to birds and bats.

This project¡ªusing methods developed and designed in coordination with state and federal agencies¡ªhelped us lead a first-of-its-kind satellite telemetry study of locally breeding peregrine falcons, a state-listed threatened species. Instead of relying on the standard observational studies to monitor these birds, Â鶹´«Ã½ partnered with New Hampshire Audubon and Biodiversity Research Institute to outfit adult peregrine falcons nesting near the project with satellite transmitters, a leading technology that monitored their daily use of the area for over five years.

The results we gathered helped determine the accuracy of existing agency-recommended pre-construction survey methods and results for predicting bird and bat risk and helped inform future regulatory reviews in New Hampshire.

At a Glance

  • 5

    Years of Wildlife Studies

Location
Grafton County, New Hampshire
Offices

Meet Our Team

Adam Gravel, Senior Associate

Relationships build trust and last longer than contracts. I work hard to keep relationships strong and treat everyone with care and respect.

Adam Gravel

Senior Associate

We¡¯re better together

  • Become a client

    Partner with us today to change how tomorrow looks. You¡¯re exactly what¡¯s needed to help us make it happen in your community.

  • Design your career

    Work with passionate people who are experts in their field. Our teams love what they do and are driven by how their work makes an impact on the communities they serve.

End of main content
To top