Wind power versus condors

Environmentalists have filed a federal lawsuit against the U.S. Bureau of Land Management and its proposed 100-turbine wind farm in Kern County’s Tehachapi area, maintaining the installation poses a threat to California condors.

The Center for Biological Diversity, Defenders of Wildlife and the Sierra Club cited a neighboring wind farm where turbine blades have killed at least eight golden eagles, according to The Fresno Bee. The proposed area is particularly good habitat for the endangered condor (pictured), leading to fears the 30-story turbines that will make up the North Sky River wind project will present a huge obstacle for the birds. Supporters of the wind farm cite new jobs, reduced carbon emissions and clean energy, and say that no condors have been killed by turbines to date.

There are only about 200 known condors in the wild, 59 of which live in the Hopper Mountain and Bitter Creek national wildlife refuges in Ventura and Kern counties.