Winds of Change: Chilean Fauna in Danger Due to Wind Farms
HAVANA TIMES – With its 6,435 kilometers of coastline, Chile has great potential for wind energy, which is key to its commitment to decarbonization. The country has 4,517 megawatts (MW) of installed capacity in wind farms, distributed across dozens of installations throughout the territory.
The sound of these wind farms, similar to the constant roar of an airplane about to land, can become overwhelming for those who spend time near the massive blades. The shadow of the blades casts changing patterns on the ground, like a repetitive dance that follows the rhythm of the wind.
In the distance, the songs of birds can be heard while the wind creaks as it passes through the metal structures painted white.
Wind energy, along with solar energy, is central to the country’s strategy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, with an expected 4% annual growth until 2027.
However, this progress comes at an ecological cost: flying wildlife, particularly birds and bats, face collision risks as wind farms expand.
Migratory Routes in Danger
Diego Luna Quevedo works at Manomet, an organization dedicated to protecting ecosystems and migratory bird routes in the Western Hemisphere. He works on this issue because, to conserve natural resources and biodiversity, “we need to develop collaborative processes, create partnerships, and reach agreements,” he says.
The agreement he refers to is critical in addressing a turning point regarding wind energy development and biodiversity conservation that Latin America is facing.
“Twenty years ago, the planning of energy projects didn’t place the same pressure on the territory or consider ecological impact as a priority variable. Today, however, we live amidst a water, biodiversity, and climate crisis,” says Luna, who has spent 27 years dedicated to biodiversity conservation.
Luna adds, “To face these challenges, our environmental management policies and strategies need to evolve to not only manage resources but also address crises.”
The impacts of wind energy on birds are significant and manifest in three areas. First, collisions with wind turbines, the incidence of which is increasing worldwide. For example, the American Bird Conservancy estimates that in the United States, about 1.17 million birds die each year due to these collisions.
Secondly, there is the barrier effect that these projects can generate by affecting birds’ mobility and natural displacement. Finally, a less-studied aspect is the disruption of the ecosystem service of habitats.
“By installing industrial infrastructures — whether a wind farm or a green hydrogen plant — the habitat is transformed into industrial land, and it ceases to be a natural ecosystem,” says Luna.
In Chile, 528 species of birds are recorded, 322 of which breed in the country, while the rest migrate to do so. During the austral summer, these birds travel thousands of kilometers from North America in search of food and warmer temperatures. Most of them are shorebirds, and unfortunately, 50% of the species are declining.
Migratory birds cross continents following well-defined and studied routes. Upon reaching Chile in spring, they settle in salt flats, wetlands, rivers, dunes, and beaches, where they remain until March when their return journey to the north begins. However, these routes, followed for thousands of years, now face new challenges.
“Raptors and shorebirds are especially vulnerable due to their fidelity to their habitats,” says Luna.
During their travels, shorebirds depend on specific places to rest and feed. Every time a safe habitat becomes inaccessible, they are forced to deviate and land in areas with less food and more threats, such as predators. As a result, many fail to complete their migrations or reproduce.
Examples? The Arctic Tern (Calidris canutus), which undertakes one of the longest migrations in the world from the Arctic to Tierra del Fuego, depends on the Magellanic wetlands as key rest stops. Energy projects threaten to occupy these critical spaces along their route, jeopardizing their ability to feed and recover.
The Magellanic Plover (Pluvianellus socialis), which lives in the saline lagoons of the Magellanic steppe, and the Red-faced Cormorant (Chloephaga rubidiceps), a species endemic to South America with a small population in the San Gregorio municipality in the southern Magallanes region, also face habitat loss due to the expansion of these mega-projects.
Regulations and the Cost of the Transition
In Chile, every wind farm must comply with environmental regulations and its Environmental Qualification Resolution, which requires measures to mitigate impacts on fauna, especially birds and bats. These measures are not always sufficient to address the cumulative impacts on ecosystems.
Juan Luis Allendes, a 47-year-old biologist and educator, has been working with bats for over 15 years. He is a member of the Bat Conservation Program of Chile and states that bats die in these facilities in higher numbers than birds.
The main reason is collisions with the blades of the wind turbines, structures made of fiberglass that absorb the echolocation waves of bats. At high speeds, bats perceive an empty space, and when crossing it, they encounter the moving blades and die.
“For those who manage to avoid the direct hit, there is still a danger: the negative pressure created by the rotation of the blades. This phenomenon, known as barotrauma, causes their lungs to collapse, killing them instantly,” he points out.
These two mechanisms – collisions and barotrauma – are devastating and frequent: in the vicinity of wind turbine platforms, dead bats without visible wounds but ruptured internally can be seen.
The “carcass counting,” or counting the dead or severely injured individuals, has become the main method for monitoring the impact of wind turbines on bats.
However, Allendes warns that many of these studies are conducted by individuals without experience in species identification, leading to errors in the data.
Environmental impact reports and voluntary mitigation commitments are flawed, he states. “Frequently, the environmental commitments of wind companies remain on paper, and actual compliance depends on evaluators without the necessary training,” he points out.
There are several effective mitigation measures. One is to stop the turbines in high-conflict areas — where more than ten bats are found dead per year — when the wind speed is less than seven meters per second (7 m/s). In the United States, this measure has reduced mortality by up to 90%, with a minor impact on energy production of less than 1%.
Another measure is the use of bioacoustic deterrents, devices that emit ultrasound to repel bats. Installed in conflict turbines, these devices have been shown to reduce bat mortality by 70% to 90%, depending on the species.
“With both mechanisms, the reduction of deaths can reach up to 97%,” says Allendes. “Studies show that turbines located less than 200 meters from bodies of water or wooded areas have much higher bat mortality rates,” he adds.
Rodrigo Debia is an agronomist and environmental management and applied ecology specialist from the Universidad Austral de Chile. He has also specialized in bat studies.
He describes how each night, bats enter a niche that no other species occupies and is essential. As nocturnal predators, they consume insects that would otherwise become pests.
Debia says considering these species in projects does not depend on rules or policies, but on the influence of corporate lobbying on institutions.
Although promises of commitment look good on paper, he knows that many companies do not take responsibility for the negative effects their projects cause. “Not all projects are the same; some can coexist with the environment if designed and monitored, and if mitigation and compensation measures are applied,” he says.
“Who conceived the idea of a just transition and for whom? This concept did not come from government offices or large institutions. It was born from the struggles of communities living in the so-called ‘sacrifice zones’ of the country: Quintero, Puchuncaví, Arauco, and many others,” explains Chilean ecologist Bernardo Reyes.
“Women organized in defense of life and community leaders who, for years, have claimed a basic right: the right to exist in a healthy and safe environment,” adds the permaculturist and environmental education promoter who works with communities in the Aconcagua Basin in central Chile.
Now, he says, it has become “a technocratic formula, well-intentioned but disconnected from reality.”
In Latin America, Reyes emphasizes, the lack of territorial planning represents an urgent challenge. Wind energy emerges as a promising alternative, but voices committed to biodiversity urge reflection on lessons from the past.
Rodríguez
Living Under the Blades
Olivia Blank and Alejandra Troncoso, separated by more than 3,400 kilometers from the southern Patagonian steppe to the semi-arid northern coast of Chile, have witnessed the overwhelming impact of the proliferation of wind farms in their territories.
Blank, a veterinarian at the Leñadura Bird Rehabilitation Center in the Magallanes region, and Troncoso, a PhD in Evolutionary Biology and member of the Institute of Ecology and Biodiversity (IEB) in the Fray Jorge Biosphere Reserve in the Coquimbo region, share a critical view of this industry.
Both regions have made recent headlines due to large wind and green hydrogen projects, which promise to become engines of economic development.
The Fray Jorge Biosphere Reserve, with its unique fog forests, fills the arid landscape of the Limarí Province with green. It is an extraordinary ecosystem that harbors rich biodiversity.
However, this territory faces growing pressure from wind farm installations, with at least eight major projects located throughout this coastal area.
One of the primary concerns of the communities is the El Arrayan Wind Farm, projected to become one of the largest in Chile, aiming to supply power to the Pelambres mining operation.
This raises concerns about potential impacts on biodiversity and the ways of life of communities that rely on these natural balances for their agricultural production.
An example was the collision of nine condors with the turbines of the Talinay Wind Farm, an incident that sparked public debate. “Condors are very visible and charismatic species, but they are like the tip of the iceberg, as many other lesser-known species are also affected and go unnoticed,” says Troncoso.
In response, the environmental authority required the company to implement acoustic devices to repel birds. However, Troncoso points out that there is no evidence that this is a solution.
“One of the biggest obstacles is the implementation of technologies made for other parts of the world. They are often presented as solutions without considering or studying the specificities of the territory and ecosystems,” she says.
A critical issue is the lack of local research on wind speed thresholds. Troncoso mentions that, in countries like the United States, turbine operation is restricted during low wind speeds, when birds and bats are more active, a practice that is still not considered in Chile.
“It is essential that the government, academia, and the private sector work together to ensure that this transition is responsible and sustainable. Otherwise, Chile risks moving toward an energy model that, while renewable, could have catastrophic consequences for its natural heritage and biodiversity,” warns Troncoso.
This impact is not limited to biodiversity; it profoundly affects the daily lives of local communities.
“Connectivity, key sectors such as tourism, and the region’s identity are at stake. The image of Patagonia as a pristine natural destination, the basis of tourism in the area, is threatened, creating uncertainty about the real benefits of these industries for communities,” concludes Blank.
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*This article was produced as part of the Narrar la TEJ project, driven by the organizations of the Potencia Energética Latam Alliance. It was translated from Spanish to English by Havana Times.