Wind energy company kills at least 150 eagles in US, pleads guilty
FILE IMAGE - An adult golden eagle is pictured. (Photo by: Jaanus JŠrva/Focus/Universal Images Group via Getty Images) BILLINGS, Mont. - A subsidiary of one of the largest U.S.
providers of renewable energy pleaded guilty to criminal charges and was ordered to pay over $8 million in fines and restitution after at least 150 eagles were killed at its wind farms in eight states, federal prosecutors said Wednesday.NextEra Energy subsidiary ESI Energy was also sentenced to five years probation after being charged with three counts of violating the Migratory Bird Treaty Act during a court appearance in Cheyenne, Wyoming.
The charges arose from the deaths of nine eagles at three wind farms in Wyoming and New Mexico.In addition to those deaths, the company acknowledged the deaths of golden and bald eagles at 50 wind farms affiliated with ESI and NextEra since 2012, prosecutors said.
Birds were killed in eight states: Wyoming, California, New Mexico, North Dakota, Colorado, Michigan, Arizona and Illinois.NextEra, based in Juno Beach, Florida, bills itself as the world’s largest utility company by market value.
United States
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Cases: 46 252 513
Deaths: 750 423
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