Establishing Baseline Data on Bat Activity in The Offshore Environment: Developing Tools and Models to Quantify Risk of Offshore Wind Energy Development

Dec. 20, 2024

The Electric Power Research Institute is spearheading a collaborative study to assess the potential risks that offshore wind development may pose to bats along the U.S. Pacific Coast. In Phase 1 (2023), the team started identifying potential locations and site partners to host bat detector equipment. In Phase 2 (2024 to 2026), the team will deploy the equipment and collect, analyze, and model data in relation to weather and geospatial activity. Guided by EPRI, the project team—which includes Bat Conservation International, Stantec, the U.S. Geological Survey, and Woods Hole Group—is collaborating with various private, non-profit, academic, and state/federal regulatory stakeholders. Read more on Pacific Northwest National Laboratory's Tethys site.