The state's recent decision not to allow wind development in critical sage grouse habitat essentially takes 75 percent of Wyoming's best wind resources off the table, according to one independent wind energy company.

In response, wind developers are teaming up with wildlife agencies across nine western states to launch a $10 million, five-year research effort.

The coalition hopes to gather scientific data needed to understand the impact of wind farms on sage grouse so they might configure them in a ways that avoid impacts.

"The outcome of the collaborative research effort could very well determine Wyoming's financial future in a carbon-constrained economy," said Lin Alder, environmental and permitting manager for Wasatch Wind Co.

Alder and others in the industry say Gov. Dave Freudenthal's ban on wind in core areas is a big blow to budding ambitions to harness thousands of megawatts of wind power in the state. But they admit the sage grouse dilemma overshadows wind resources across the West.

Besides, independent wind developers say they've got about five years to wait, anyway, because that's the amount of time it will take for new electrical transmission lines to access Wyoming's trove of wind energy.

Collaboration

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is considering listing the sage grouse as a threatened and endangered species. About half of the bird's remaining prime habitat lies within Wyoming's borders. That's why so many believe Gov. Freudenthal's "core areas" protection strategy is key in avoiding a listing.

Wyoming also happens to have some of the West's best wind resources. Alder said several wind developers realized months ago that Wyoming's core areas restriction could be a major setback for the industry, so they began discussions about a collaborative research effort.

Things really coalesced in recent weeks when it became apparent Freudenthal would ban not only wind energy in the core areas, but even a wind energy research project.

The coalition now includes about 35 wind developers and utilities in addition to nine state wildlife agencies. John Emmerich, deputy director of Wyoming Game & Fish, was instrumental in getting buy-in from the state wildlife agencies.

"There is a concerted interagency, industry effort to get a collaborative research initiative going across multiple states for the very reason to get the data," Emmerich said. "We don't have the data. We need that information before we start permitting in areas that are really important to sage grouse."

Much work ahead

Alder said the collabortive research effort will get about $130,000 support from the U.S. Department of Energy in October. Ultimately, the research must include the construction of one or more wind farms. But what's yet to be determined is where to build them and how to design them.

"Right now we are in the process of assembling the best possible team of researchers. The research conducted regarding impacts from oil and gas development is not answering questions about wind development," Alder said. "The big question is where those wind farms will be built. We need to answer those questions by spring."

As the wind industry puts its best foot forward in the collaborate research effort, there are also quiet grumblings within the industry about whether federal wildlife officials already have too much influence on managing sage grouse. Unless or until the bird is listed, that authority lies with the states.

Some in the industry also complain that wind is paying for the sins of others, noting that wind energy comes last in line after impacts from urban development, agriculture, coal, oil and gas.

"It seems like some forms of energy are being singled out. We need a comprehensive strategy here," said Tom Darin, staff attorney for Western Resource Advocates.

Darin said wind energy's impact on sage grouse is a delicate issue for renewable energy advocates. But there must be an effort to promote both the development of wind and the protection of prime habitats.

Darin said a good start might be for the federal government to stop issuing oil and gas leases in the sage grouse core areas, and work with companies to retire some of those leases that are not being developed.

"I think it's a range of these options to see if we can find ways to protect core areas but also find a way for some of Wyoming's best wind to get developed," Darin said.

Contact energy reporter Dustin Bleizeffer at 307-577-6069 or {M7dustin.bleizeffer@trib.com. Read his energy blog at tribtown.trib.com/DustinBleizeffer/blog.