Wind sites have a low impact on birds. In consultation with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, it is estimated that wind turbines nationwide account for about 30,000 bird fatalities a year. Birds face a much higher degree of risk from other sources:

• Buildings and windows -- up to 980 million
• House cats -- up to 100 million
• Vehicles -- up to 80 million
• Pesticides -- up to 67 million
• Communication towers -- up to 50 million
  (Source: National Wind Coordinating Committee and Western Ecosystems Technology Inc.)

• Established technical review committees to monitor and address avian issues
• Implemented post-construction studies to gather more information on the effects of wind on wildlife
• Become a funding member of the Bat and Wind Energy Cooperative (BWEC). Others in this group include the American Wind Energy Association, Bat Conservation International, the Department of Energy National Renewable Energy Laboratory and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The goal of this collaborative effort is to study impacts of wind turbines on bat species.