Reconciling Clean Energy and Conservation

The New York Times Energy & Environment
October 1, 2009, 12:37 pm
By John Lorinc
The Associated Press
Post updated 1:42 p.m.

With renewable energy poised for explosive growth, some conservation groups are racing to advance policy proposals and guidelines meant to prevent wind and bioenergy producers from despoiling sensitive habitats, especially in the prairie grasslands of the Midwest.

The Nature Conservancy, which this year sounded a warning about “energy sprawl,” is working with state energy officials and wind firms to build a database of maps that indicate wetlands and habitats within gusty regions. “We can tell the industry, these are places to avoid,” said the organization’s head of energy, Jimmie Powell.

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