ACP Statement on the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) Final Eagle Rule

WASHINGTON, D.C., February 8, 2024 — The American Clean Power Association (ACP), issued the following statement from Tom Vinson, ACP Vice President for Policy and Regulatory Affairs on the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) Final Eagle Rule which was released on February 8, 2024:  

“Wind energy and eagle conservation have proven to be compatible. The bald eagle population is booming, and the golden eagle population has remained stable alongside a significant expansion of wind energy deployment. The wind industry is looking to reduce the remaining limited impacts even further, and we are hopeful the FWS final rule will expand the availability of permits so that eagle populations can experience increased conservation benefits from the deployment of wind energy, including those related to a reduction in greenhouse gases and other air pollution.”  

_{Sources: Millsap et al. 2022. “Golden Eagles in the Western United States.” Ecological Applications 32( 3): e2544. https://doi.org/10.1002/eap.2544;
Eagle Data:  U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 2020. Final Report: Bald Eagle Population Size: 2020 Update. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Division of Migratory Bird Management, Washington, D.C. U.S.A.;
Wind Data: ACP Clean Power IQ facility database: https://cleanpower.org/cleanpower-iq/;
U.S. Department of Energy 2022 Wind Technologies Market Report: https://emp.lbl.gov/sites/default/files/2022_land_based_wind_market_report_data.xlsm}