Green energy company in the hot seat after bald eagles knocked out of the skies
FIRST ON FOX: The Trump Department of the Interior is fining a green energy company over $30,000 after their wind turbines knocked two American bald eagles out of the sky,...
By Fox News · Fox News
FIRST ON FOX: The Trump Department of the Interior is fining a green energy company over $30,000 after their wind turbines knocked two American bald eagles out of the sky, according to a violation notice reviewed by Fox News Digital. The notice reveals that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is proposing a fine of $32,340 against Ørsted Onshore North America after two bald eagles were discovered dead near wind turbines in Plum Creek, Nebraska, and Lincoln Land, Illinois. The violation notice says the company violated the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act by killing the eagles without what is called an "incidental take permit." The first bald eagle was discovered dead in March 2024 near a turbine at Ørsted’s Plum Creek facility in Wayne County, Nebraska. The eagle’s remains were taken to the National Fish and Wildlife Forensics Laboratory for a necropsy, at which it was determined the fatality was caused by a collision with a wind turbine. A year later, another bald eagle was found dead on April 18, just 200 yards from a turbine in Lincoln Land, Illinois. The necropsy results similarly showed that the eagle’s death was consistent with a wind turbine collision. FEDERALLY PROTECTED BIRDS FORCE HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL TEAM TO REARRANGE SCHEDULE Because the Ørsted facilities did not have permits to kill the eagles, the Fish and Wildlife Service is proposing civil penalties of $16,170 per violation, totaling $32,340. The bureau is giving Ørsted 45 days to respond to the notice before sealing the penalties. A spokesperson for the Plum Creek Wind and Lincoln Land Wind facilities told Fox News Digital that Ørsted received the letter issued by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on October 29 and the company "will continue to engage and cooperate with USFWS on this matter." A subsidiary of Danish clean energy conglomerate Ørsted A/S, Ørsted Onshore operates 13 wind farms across the country. According to its website, Ørsted A/S is a global clean energy leader that develops, co…