Canadian region rejects wind energy projects for the sake of birds

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The Saskatchewan government has rejected a large wind farm projects because of its location near a lake popular with migratory birds, the Calgary Herald reports citing the local officials.

The Ministry of Environment announced Monday it has denied Algonquin Power’s project of a 177-megawatt wind farm with a possible 79 turbines near Chaplin Lake. Minister Scott Moe explained that the project was too large and too close to a recognized migratory bird flight path.

At the same time Moe noted that the provincial government is interested in clean energy projects and has a goal of 50 per cent renewable energy sources by 2030, a large proportion of which is expected to come from wind. But the officials are concerned about ways to reduce possible bad impact on wildlife.

For that sake the provincial government released Monday siting guidelines for wind energy projects to reduce effects on wildlife. The document specifies areas to avoid, suggests ways to analyze locations for environmental risks and recommends probable design elements that may be used to reduce harmful effects on wildlife.