The Intersection of Wind Energy and Wildlife management: A Case Study of Prairie-Chickens and Wind Turbine Site Selection in Oklahoma

Abstract

The demand for alternatives to fossil fuels has increased over the past couple of years, so it is becoming increasingly important to find alternative energy sources. While wind energy represents one potential alternative energy source, its expansion and development may be problematic for other sustainability efforts such as wildlife management and habitat conservation. One such example is the conflicting relationship between the expansion of wind turbine development in the state of Oklahoma, as it is known to disrupt the management of habitat for the Greater and Lesser prairie-chicken. This thesis explores the conflict between wind energy development and wildlife management by (1) identifying areas of geographic conflict in the state of Oklahoma through a GIS site suitability analysis and (2) conducting a text analysis of existing policies to see if policies mentioned any opposing wind or wildlife policies. The goal of this thesis is to identify areas of intersection between these competing interests in Oklahoma so that wildlife management of species and wind energy development have a way to work together in the future, to ensure the future of wildlife species and wind energy development.