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<br />~ .s <br /> <br />ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT OF LARGE WINDPOWER FARMS <br /> <br />Prepared for presentation at the <br />Third U.S. National Conference on Wind Engineering Research <br />on February 26-March 1, 1978 <br />at the University of Florida, Gainesville <br /> <br />By <br /> <br />Wallace E. Howell <br />Assistant to the Chief <br />Division of Atmospheric Water Resources Management <br />Bureau of Reclamation <br />U.S. Department of the Interior <br />Denver Federal Center <br />Denver, Colorado <br /> <br />1. Introducti on <br /> <br />Most past consideration of environmental impacts of large windpowered <br />electric generators has been machine-centered. It has been asked, <br />will a windpowered generator interfere with television reception or <br />microwave communication? HOVI many birds will it kill? How 1 ikely <br />will it be to break up in service and hurl parts around? How <br />aesthetically repulsive or attractive will it be? Will it affect <br />the nearby temperature and precipitation? <br /> <br />The purpose of this paper is to take a site-centered view of these <br />environmental impacts, appropriate to the probable locations of <br />large windpower farms. The questions then become, whose television <br />reception or microwave communications may be affected, and how fully <br />may the effects be mitigated? What birds in windfarm areas are at <br />hazard, and how intensely? If a windpowered generator should break <br />up, what damage might it do? Who will be attracted to windfarms <br />enough to come see them, and who will be repelled enough to move or <br />stay away? Among the people who never see a windfarm, who will be <br />affected positively or negatively by offsite economic or sociologic <br />consequences? This approach implies a broad interpretation of <br />environment, embracing human as well as natural elements. <br /> <br />I am taking this site-centered view because recent analyses of the <br />potential role of windpower have indicated that cost-effectiveness <br />will be achieved first, and by the widest. margin, if windpower is <br />harvested where it is most abundant, at places where climate and <br />terrain conjoin to produce exceptionally windy places, and if this <br />