Half a million bats are killed every year by wind turbines in the United States alone.

That’s not a typo. 500,000.

These animals aren’t pests — they’re critical to healthy ecosystems and food systems. Bats control insects that damage crops, pollinate plants like agave (yes, your margarita depends on them!), and help maintain the delicate balance of our environment. But many of their populations are already in steep decline due to habitat loss, disease, and pesticides.

Now, wind turbines — a key part of our clean energy future — are unintentionally accelerating this crisis. Bats collide with spinning blades or die from pressure-related injuries, and most wind farms have little to no regulation requiring them to address the problem.

But there’s good news: we can protect bats without shutting down wind energy.

New “smart curtailment” technology uses sensors to detect bats near turbines and pause them only when necessary. This approach cuts bat deaths dramatically — without sacrificing much energy production. In fact, a 2023 U.S. Department of Energy study found that smart sensors maintained energy output while reducing fatalities just as effectively as blanket shutdowns.

It’s a proven solution. So why aren’t all wind farms using it?

We’re calling on the U.S. Department of Energy, Fish and Wildlife Service, and state public utility commissions to require smart curtailment systems at all federally funded or newly approved wind farms.

We also urge Congress to fund more widespread adoption of this technology through grants and tax incentives.

Clean energy should not come at the cost of biodiversity. We don’t have to choose between saving bats and building a sustainable grid — we can do both.

Sign now to demand action that saves lives and strengthens our environmental future.

Photo: Donald Solick/Bat Conservation International