Jan Blittersdorf, CEO/Owner of NRG Systems, was recently named chair of the American Wind Wildlife Institute (AWWI). As a first order of business, Jan attended a meeting in February with top White House officials to discuss new wind energy siting guidelines issued by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Founded by 15 of the nation’s top science-based conservation and environmental groups and wind energy companies, AWWI is a first-of-its-kind collaboration with a mission of facilitating timely and responsible wind energy development while protecting wildlife and wildlife habitat. AWWI provides research, mapping, mitigation and public education on best practices in wind farm siting and habitat protection.
“We’ve made progress on several fronts in our first two years, thanks to this collaborative effort,” says Blittersdorf, CEO/Owner of NRG Systems. “I’m thrilled to be named chair and see this work continue so that we can realize our goals to further renewable wind energy, protect wildlife and address the challenges of climate change.”
Among some of AWWI’s recent accomplishments are:
The development, with the Nature Conservancy, of a unique landscape assessment tool designed to identify sensitive wildlife habitat and areas that are likely to have low wildlife risk where wind energy development could be prioritized;
Launch of pilot study to build a comprehensive research information system, gathering existing wind-wildlife data to support critical scientific research and analysis;
The release of Enabling Progress, a report that provides a review of current wildlife related mitigation practices employed in the United States and how those practices might relate to future wind energy development.
“From the outset, Jan’s collaborative style and vision have provided clear direction to this group,” says Abby Arnold, AWWI executive director. “With her as chair, we will continue to benefit from her leadership and advance our vision of furthering wind energy and addressing potential wildlife impacts.”
Jan Blittersdorf previously served as AWWI vice chair.
The eight non-profit partner organizations of AWWI include: Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies, Environmental Defense Fund, National Audubon Society, National Wildlife Federation, Natural Resources Defense Council, The Nature Conservancy, Sierra Club and Union of Concerned Scientists. In addition to NRG Systems, the remaining ten AWWI industry and utility partners include: American Wind Energy Association, BP Wind Energy, GE Energy, Horizon Wind Energy, Iberdrola Renewables, Pacific Gas & Electric, Renewable Energy Systems Americas, Ridgeline Energy, Shell WindEnergy, and Vestas Americas.