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Study Finds Small Wind Turbines Can Exceed Wildlife Benchmarks, Prompting Provincial Review

Officials in Groningen and Fryslân are evaluating selective shutdowns after multi-year monitoring confirmed measurable bird and bat collisions.

Overview

  • The report, published March 17, documents average mortality of 2.2 birds and 0.8 bats per small turbine each year.
  • Per-turbine impacts are limited, yet cumulative effects across roughly 400 units in Groningen can surpass assessment norms used by the Council of State.
  • Collision risk concentrates at turbines near farm vegetation, buildings or waterways where flight routes, foraging areas and roosts overlap.
  • Provinces are exploring mitigation such as nighttime stops in high‑risk August periods and protective habitat measures outside turbine reach.
  • New small turbines remain possible only after an ecological quickscan, and existing units support farms with about 53,900 kWh of annual output per turbine.