Researchers at Oxford University have teamed up with their US counterparts at the Texas Christian University (TCU) to study the ecological and socio-economic impacts of wind power. A five-year research initiative, funded by US wind power giant FPL Energy, will attempt to better understand the impact that wind turbines have on birds and bats, as well as their ecological and socio-economic implications. The research will be coordinated by TCU’s Institute for Environmental Studies (IES) and Oxford University’s Environmental Change Institute (ECI). All the field research for the project will be conducted at FPL Energy’s wind farm locations across the US. ‘As the need for power increases across the US and the climate change debate intensifies, we believe now is the right time for a comprehensive research program to study the real environmental impacts and benefits of wind power. Although wind power cannot meet all of the energy needs of this country, we believe it can and should play a greater role than it does today,’ said Mitch Davidson, president of FPL Energy. The research partners hope the information generated from the research effort will be used to shape responsible future development of wind generation […]