{"id":272640,"date":"2023-08-10T19:46:32","date_gmt":"2023-08-10T17:46:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=272640"},"modified":"2023-08-10T19:46:34","modified_gmt":"2023-08-10T17:46:34","slug":"california-sacrifices-bald-and-golden-eagles-for-green-energy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=272640","title":{"rendered":"California sacrifices bald and golden eagles for \u201cGreen\u201d energy"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From\u00a0CFACT<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

By\u00a0Bonner Cohen, Ph. D.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Eagle bird flying on sunset sky abstract background. Animal and freedom concept. Generative ai<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

In a major setback for the protection of wildlife, California Governor Gavin Newsom (D) signed a bill that will allow operators of wind and solar projects to slaughter bald and golden eagles, along with other raptors, under the guise of promoting \u201cclean\u201d energy in the state.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Senate Bill 147, sponsored by Sen. Angelique Ashby (D-Sacramento), and enthusiastically backed by the Democratic majority, will sanction the \u201cincidental take\u201d of wildlife in the pursuit of clearing the way for more green energy projects in the Golden State.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sen. Ashby\u2019s bill applies to solar photovoltaic projects, apartment infrastructure upgrades, and wind projects, along with associated electric transmission projects carrying high-voltage power from a facility located in the state to a point of junction with any California-based balancing authority.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The new law will \u201cauthorize the Department of Fish and Wildlife to issue a permit under the California Endangered Species Act (CESA) that would authorize \u2018the take\u2019 of a fully protected species resulting from impacts attributable to the implementation of specified projects if certain conditions are satisfied, including, among others, the conditions required for the issuance of an incidental take permit.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIncidental take\u201d is a legal term specifying the kinds of harm that can be inflicted on wildlife during normal commercial operations. As noted by the\u00a0California Globe<\/em>\u00a0(July 10), it includes shoot, shoot at, poison, wound, kill, capture, trap, collect, destroy, molest, or disturb. \u201cActivities that directly or indirectly lead to \u2018taking\u2019 are prohibited without a permit, according to the American Eagle Foundation,\u201d the\u00a0Globe<\/em>\u00a0pointed out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yet under Sen. Ashby\u2019s bill, that permit will be forthcoming for taxpayer-subsidized wind and solar projects, which is good for green-energy developers, but less so for birds at risk of being chopped up by spinning wind turbines.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The fate of eagles and other creatures appears to be of little interest to Sen. Ashby and her allies. So determined is she to grease the skids for wind and solar projects in California that she has declared her legislation an \u201curgency\u201d bill, meaning it goes into effect immediately upon enactment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Licensed to Kill<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We all remember that James Bond was \u201clicensed to kill,\u201d and now 007 is the role model for green energy. But in his case, Bond was at least allowed to kill bad guys while Sen. Ashby\u2019s bill authorizes the murder of birds that have the temerity to cross the path of planet-saving renewable energy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And die they will.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Last year, the\u00a0Washington Post<\/em>\u00a0reported on a case the Department of Justice had brought against wind developer ESI Energy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAn American wind energy company has admitted to killing at least 150 bald and golden eagles, most of which were fatally struck by wind turbine blades,\u201d federal prosecutors said, the\u00a0Post<\/em>\u00a0reported. \u201cESI Energy pleaded guilty to three counts of violating the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA) after eagles died at three of its facilities in Wyoming and New Mexico, according to a statement from the Justice Department.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As part of its \u201cmitigation plan,\u201d ESI Energy will have to pay $29,623 for each bald or golden eagle killed by its turbine blades in the future. \u201cESI has since acknowledged that at least 150 bald and golden eagles at 50 of its 154 wind farms over the past decade and that 136 of the deaths occurred when the birds flew into a turbine blade,\u201d prosecutors said,\u201d the\u00a0Post<\/em>\u00a0added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now that Gov. Newsom, an enthusiastic supporter of wind and solar power, has signed the bill, eagles in California will be facing hard times. The new law is a way for state agencies and green-energy developers to get around the annoying problem of birds being killed in large numbers as a direct result of California\u2019s energy priorities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And from the likes of the Sierra Club, the Nature Conservancy, and the Audubon Society, who would have the world believe they really care about protected species? Not a peep.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Author<\/h2>\n\n\n
\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n


Bonner Cohen, Ph. D.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bonner R. Cohen, Ph. D., is a senior policy analyst with CFACT, where he focuses on natural resources, energy, property rights, and geopolitical developments. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Articles by Dr. Cohen have appeared in The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Investor\u2019s Busines Daily, The New York Post, The Washington Examiner, The Washington Times, The Hill, The Epoch Times, The Philadelphia Inquirer, <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, The Miami Herald, and dozens of other newspapers around the country. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

He has been interviewed on Fox News, Fox Business Network, CNN, NBC News, NPR, BBC, BBC Worldwide Television, N24 (German-language news network), and scores of radio stations in the U.S. and Canada. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

He has testified before the U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, the U.S. Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, the U.S. House Judiciary Committee, and the U.S. House Natural Resources Committee. Dr. Cohen has addressed conferences in the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, and Bangladesh. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

He has a B.A. from the University of Georgia and a Ph. D. \u2013 summa cum laude \u2013 from the University of Munich.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In a major setback for the protection of wildlife, California Governor Gavin Newsom (D) signed a bill that will allow operators of wind and solar projects to slaughter bald and golden eagles, along with other raptors, under the guise of promoting \u201cclean\u201d energy in the state.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":121246920,"featured_media":272648,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_coblocks_attr":"","_coblocks_dimensions":"","_coblocks_responsive_height":"","_coblocks_accordion_ie_support":"","_crdt_document":"","advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[1],"tags":[691818068,691821750,691818118,691821751,691821749],"class_list":{"0":"post-272640","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","6":"hentry","7":"category-uncategorized","8":"tag-california","9":"tag-california-endangered-species-act-cesa","10":"tag-green-energy","11":"tag-taxpayer-subsidized","12":"tag-wind-and-solar-projects","14":"fallback-thumbnail"},"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/0eagle-wind-turbine-featured.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/paxLW1-18Vq","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":275782,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=275782","url_meta":{"origin":272640,"position":0},"title":"Green Activists Silent as California Moves to Help Wind Farm Slaughter of America\u2019s Iconic Bald Eagle","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"27\/08\/2023","format":false,"excerpt":"America\u2019s national bird, the bald eagle, along with golden eagles and other raptors, face mass slaughter in California\u2019s wind farm avian graveyards following the State Democrat-controlled legislature\u2019s decision to relax controls on wildlife protections.","rel":"","context":"In \"Bald eagle\"","block_context":{"text":"Bald eagle","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?tag=bald-eagle"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/0Wind-energy-company-charged-for-killing-eagles.webp?fit=1200%2C627&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/0Wind-energy-company-charged-for-killing-eagles.webp?fit=1200%2C627&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/0Wind-energy-company-charged-for-killing-eagles.webp?fit=1200%2C627&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/0Wind-energy-company-charged-for-killing-eagles.webp?fit=1200%2C627&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/0Wind-energy-company-charged-for-killing-eagles.webp?fit=1200%2C627&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":335177,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=335177","url_meta":{"origin":272640,"position":1},"title":"Thousands of Joshua Trees set to fall victim to Green-Energy transition","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"29\/06\/2024","format":false,"excerpt":"More than 3,500 majestic Joshua trees in California\u2019s Mojave Desert are being shredded onsite to make way for thousands of solar panels under a plan approved by California and Kern County officials. The sprawling solar project will produce intermittent energy on 2,300 acres of land near the small towns of\u2026","rel":"","context":"In \"Aratina Solar Project\"","block_context":{"text":"Aratina Solar Project","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?tag=aratina-solar-project"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/00Joshua-trees.png?fit=1200%2C802&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/00Joshua-trees.png?fit=1200%2C802&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/00Joshua-trees.png?fit=1200%2C802&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/00Joshua-trees.png?fit=1200%2C802&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/00Joshua-trees.png?fit=1200%2C802&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":425588,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=425588","url_meta":{"origin":272640,"position":2},"title":"Bald Eagle\u2019s Grizzly Death at Obama\u2011Funded Wind Project Site Triggers Federal Fine","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"10\/02\/2026","format":false,"excerpt":"In early February 2026 a bald eagle was killed by a wind turbine at the University of Minnesota's Eolos Wind Energy Research Field Station in Dakota County, Minnesota. 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A fair proportion of their practised acquiescence is explained by bags of cash \u2013 aka helpful \u201cdonations\u201d from outfits such as NextEra\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/0Bald-Eagle.jpg?fit=960%2C691&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/0Bald-Eagle.jpg?fit=960%2C691&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/0Bald-Eagle.jpg?fit=960%2C691&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/0Bald-Eagle.jpg?fit=960%2C691&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":417799,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=417799","url_meta":{"origin":272640,"position":5},"title":"Wind turbine eagle-kill secrecy may soon end","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"19\/12\/2025","format":false,"excerpt":"A new lawsuit could finally end the secrecy surrounding wind turbines killing eagles. Wyoming\u2019s Albany County Conservancy (ACC) is suing the US Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) for failing to provide the mandatory eagle kill reports for three big wind facilities.","rel":"","context":"In \"bald and golden eagles\"","block_context":{"text":"bald and golden eagles","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?tag=bald-and-golden-eagles"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/AQPa2UdvuaNnT2aPfbeAaId08xQzyMPDTKCnauwYO1NDS-mkvIDZQRfIja4By2JQxf0qAHaPewhNUNazIKnahbUQAAEe0fypi1fnNdk5hha01-6D3WzOQyhwn571-EG0.jpeg?fit=1200%2C679&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/AQPa2UdvuaNnT2aPfbeAaId08xQzyMPDTKCnauwYO1NDS-mkvIDZQRfIja4By2JQxf0qAHaPewhNUNazIKnahbUQAAEe0fypi1fnNdk5hha01-6D3WzOQyhwn571-EG0.jpeg?fit=1200%2C679&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/AQPa2UdvuaNnT2aPfbeAaId08xQzyMPDTKCnauwYO1NDS-mkvIDZQRfIja4By2JQxf0qAHaPewhNUNazIKnahbUQAAEe0fypi1fnNdk5hha01-6D3WzOQyhwn571-EG0.jpeg?fit=1200%2C679&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/AQPa2UdvuaNnT2aPfbeAaId08xQzyMPDTKCnauwYO1NDS-mkvIDZQRfIja4By2JQxf0qAHaPewhNUNazIKnahbUQAAEe0fypi1fnNdk5hha01-6D3WzOQyhwn571-EG0.jpeg?fit=1200%2C679&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/AQPa2UdvuaNnT2aPfbeAaId08xQzyMPDTKCnauwYO1NDS-mkvIDZQRfIja4By2JQxf0qAHaPewhNUNazIKnahbUQAAEe0fypi1fnNdk5hha01-6D3WzOQyhwn571-EG0.jpeg?fit=1200%2C679&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/272640","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/121246920"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=272640"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/272640\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":272649,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/272640\/revisions\/272649"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/272648"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=272640"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=272640"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=272640"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}