Energy & Wildlife
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Energy development is booming across the United States, helping to secure plentiful energy to meet our nation’s needs. Yet energy generation can sometimes have adverse effects on ecosystems and wildlife. USGS scientists are studying the effects of energy infrastructure on wildlife, and are working to develop the technical and management options that can reduce risks to wildlife and industry.
Our Research Portfolio
USGS projects are designed to help understand and reduce potential negative interactions of fish and wildlife with energy development.
Learn moreInforming Solutions
Can we make wind power more compatible with wildlife? A story about Hawaii’s only native land mammal, the ōpe‘ape‘a, and wind energy in Hawaii.
Find out moreAnnual Report
USGS conducts research on species impacted by energy development and develops methods to minimize negative effects to species and habitats.
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USGS Science at the Wind Wildlife Research Meeting XIII
Scientists from six USGS science centers will be sharing their latest science at this year’s virtual Wind Wildlife Research Meeting, taking place December 1-4, 2020.
RAMPS Newsletter - Summer 2020 Edition
This season's edition of the Restoration Assessment and Monitoring Program for the Southwest Newsletter contains recent program highlights including research updates, new projects, field updates and more.
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Publications
Energy Development and Production in the Great Plains: Implications and Restoration Opportunities
Energy is an integral part of society. The major US energy sources of fossil fuels (coal, oil, natural gas); biofuels (ethanol); and wind are concentrated in grassland ecosystems of the Great Plains. As energy demand continues to increase, mounting pressures will be placed on North American grassland systems. In this review, we present the...
Ott, Jacqueline P.; Hanberry, Brice B.; Khalil, Mona; Paschke, Mark W.; Post van der Burg, Max; Prenni, Anthony J. Wind, sun, and wildlife: Do wind and solar energy development “short-circuit” conservation in the western United States?
Despite the trade-offs between renewable energy development, land use, humans, and wildlife, wind and solar development continues to transform the southwestern US into a green energy landscape. While renewable energy reduces carbon emissions and reliance on fossil fuels, many studies have emerged on the associated ecological and social impacts of...
Agha, Mickey; Lovich, Jeffrey E.; Ennen Joshua R.; Todd, Brian D Assessing population-level consequences of anthropogenic stressors for terrestrial wildlife
Human activity influences wildlife. However, the ecological and conservation significances of these influences are difficult to predict and depend on their population‐level consequences. This difficulty arises partly because of information gaps, and partly because the data on stressors are usually collected in a count‐based manner (e.g., number of...
Katzner, Todd E.; Braham, Melissa A.; Conkling, Tara; Diffendorfer, James E.; Duerr, Adam E.; Loss, Scott R.; Nelson, David M.; Vander Zanden, Hannah B.; Yee, Julie L.