Photo: David McNew / Getty Images
ESI Energy, a subsidiary of NextEra Energy, one of the largest renewable energy providers in the United States, will have to pay more than $8 million dollars after pleading guilty to the death of at least 150 eagles in the wind farms it has in 8 states.
According to the federal prosecutor, the company was charged of three counts of violation of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act.
The charges arose from the death of nine eagles in three wind farms in Wyoming and New Mexico.
However, in addition to those deaths, the company recognized other golden and bald eagles in 50 ESI and NextEra affiliated wind farms from 2012, prosecutors said.
These parks are located in eight States: Wyoming, California a, New Mexico, North Dakota, Colorado, Michigan, Arizona and Illinois.
The construction of this type of infrastructure has also expanded in other states such as California, where the coasts are used for its construction.
How the eagles died
The documents indicate that almost all the eagles that died were hit by the blades of the wind turbines .
Some turbines killed several eagles and because carcasses are not always found, authorities said the number was probably higher than the 150 birds cited.
Prosecutors said the company’s failure to take steps to protect the eagles or obtain permits to kill the birds gave it an advantage over the competitors who took such measures.
Even as ESI and other NextEra affiliates received hundreds of millions of dollars in federal tax credits from the wind power they produced.
NextEra, based in Juno Beach, Florida, bills itself as the largest utility in the world by market value.
Has more than 100 wind farms in the US and Canada, and also generates natural gas, nuclear and solar energy.
In response, NextEra spokesman Steven Stengel said that the company did not seek permits because it believes that the law does not require them for accidental deaths of birds.
Wind farms, a danger for golden eagles
In the US it is considered illegal to kill or harm eagles s According to the migratory bird law.
However, a wide range of industries, from energy companies to manufacturing companies, have lobbied for years against law enforcement for accidental bird deaths.
The bald eagle, national symbol of the USA since the decade of 1700, saw its populations decimated in the last century due to harmful pesticides.
She then made a dramatic recovery and it is believed that there are now more than 300,000 bald eagles in the country, not including Alaska.
However, golden eagles have not it went so well. Although its population is considered stable, there is a latent danger from wind farms, vehicle collisions, illegal shootings and lead ammunition poisoning.
Most of the eagles killed at ESI and NextEra wind farms were eagles real, according to court documents.
It is estimated that there are 50,800 golden eagles in the west of the country, with about 2, 200 birds killed annually due to human causes, according to a study published by eagle researchers with the Fish and Wildlife Service and others.
Historically, companies have been able to avoid prosecution under the 100-year-old Migratory Bird Treaty Act if they take steps to prevent deaths and seek permits for those that do occur.
The charging documents stated that company representatives, including the president of ESI, were warned that the eagles would be killed if they built two wind farms in central and southeastern Wyoming.
They also knew of the risk that the eagles were running when they authorized the repowering of a wind farm in New Mexico, about 150 miles (200 kilometers) from Albuquerque.
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