Wind Farm to Shut Down 5 Months a Year to Protect Critically Endangered Parrot Species

Plans for a new major wind farm in Australia were given the green light on one condition; it goes offline for five months a year to protect a parrot species.

Source: ABC News (Australia)/YouTube

An environmental assessment report of the Robbins Island Renewable Energy Park by the Tasmania EPA said that they were determined to approve the proposal as long as they could protect the Orange-bellied parrot.

The wind farm could have as many as 122 wind turbines, and thankfully, the critically endangered Orange-bellied parrot was taken into consideration.

“Unless otherwise approved in writing by the EPA Board, all WTG [wind turbine generators] must be shut down during the northern OBP migration period (1 March to 31 May inclusive) and the southern OBP migration period (15 September to 15 November inclusive),” the EPA document says.

Robbins Island is located off the coast of Tasmania and is an Australian state. If all is successful, the total capacity of the wind farm could be as much as 900 megawatts.

Recently a subsidiary of one of the largest renewable energy providers in the United States pleaded guilty to criminal charges after at least 150 eagles were killed at their wind farms in eight states.

We are so glad that the EPA is considering these animals before putting up the giant wind farm.

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• Wind Energy Company Sentenced to Probation and Fined $8 Million For Killing Over 150 Eagles
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