About American Wind Wildlife Institute

The American Wind Wildlife Institute (AWWI) facilitates the responsible development of wind energy with the least possible impact on wildlife and wildlife habitat. A unique collaboration between the nation’s top conservation and environmental groups and wind energy companies, AWWI supports research, mapping, mitigation, and public education initiatives that guide best practices in wind farm siting and wildlife habitat protection.

The American Wind Wildlife Institute (AWWI) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit focused on medium- and long-range efforts to:

• Assist the wind energy industry in proactively addressing wildlife/wind farm siting issues on a regional rather than a project-specific basis;
• Act as a change agent, offering technology and science information via a progressive research agenda;
• Make its research findings and other information available to educate agencies, industry, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and the public about wind farm siting and wildlife issues.

Operating on the principles of collaborative management, AWWI emphasizes cooperation, both as its internal mechanism and organizing principle at the external levels of industry, government, and the public at large.

AWWI History

Early in 2006, perspectives from the past, present and future on the relation between wind energy development and wildlife and habitat issues converged.   Past experience had reinforced the costs to all parties of leaving such issues unresolved and the value of good science in addressing them.  Present perspectives from environmental groups and front line developers at the time were that project siting issues often did not reflect longer-term common interests between the communities.  Future concerns about climate change and the challenges of achieving the DOE’s ambitious wind energy targets increased the urgency to augment the scientific base for improving large-scale siting processes, and establish deeper communication between the environmental community and the wind industry.

Many people in companies, NGOs and agencies were having similar misgivings about “wind development as usual.” Otherwise, it would not have been possible to put together an institution like the American Wind Wildlife Institute (AWWI) that could attract the commitment from its founders that it has.  But as a pearl needs a grain of sand to form, it fell to a few individuals to serve as the catalysts for events leading to the formation of AWWI.

On the heels of some successful wind industry-environmental organization bridge-building in California in 2004 and early 2005, Tom Weis, a veteran environmental and political organizer and consultant to enXco, and Jim Walker, then Vice President of Asset Management for enXco, saw the need to widen their outreach efforts to the national level. In 2005 and 2006, the two met with the leadership of over 20 national environmental organizations to brief them on the current state of the wind industry, on efforts being undertaken to resolve the Altamont lawsuit, and to explore potential avenues of collaboration to address the climate crisis. Several of AWWI’s Founding NGO members—National Audubon Society, Union of Concerned Scientists, Natural Resources Defense Council, Sierra Club, and the Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies—were part of those early meetings. 
 
At these early meetings, it was clearly established that: 1) there was a need for wind companies to get ahead of the curve on wind/wildlife conflicts; 2) using science-based protocols to classify biologically sensitive areas early in the development process should help the wind industry get more megawatts in the ground more quickly; and 3) many environmental NGOs were prepared to embrace wind power as a critical solution to the climate challenge if the wind industry took their concerns seriously and translated then into action.

In late 2006, Wayne Walker, then Vice Chair of AWEA’s Siting Committee and Director of Project Development for Horizon Wind Energy, drafted the first strategy document proposing the creation of an entity to help guide the expansion of wind power while minimizing impacts to wildlife and wildlife habitat.  Soon thereafter, Wayne, Jim (then Chair of AWEA’s Siting Committee) and Tom met in Round Top, Texas, where the initial model for AWWI was finalized and later refined with invaluable input from Laurie Jodziewicz, AWEA’s Manager of Siting Policy. This was followed by Jim making a series of presentations to AWEA’s board of directors to gauge their level of support for the concept.

In 2007, under the leadership of industry consultant Ron Helinski, the AWWI team initiated a series of “focus group” sessions, where key industry representatives, top NGO leaders and high-level federal agency staff collectively fleshed out the AWWI concept in greater detail. Then in June of 2007, with the enthusiastic support of then AWEA Executive Director Randy Swisher, Jim formally presented the proposal to AWEA’s board, which recommended overwhelmingly that AWWI be developed as a separate stand-alone 501(c)(3) organization. The recruitment of 13 wind companies and 7 environmental organizations to serve as AWWI’s founding members commenced, with $3 million raised for the first two years of operation.

In 2008, AWWI held initial scoping meetings on its mapping and mitigation initiatives. Veteran wind and wildlife consultant Abby Arnold was added to the AWWI development team to assist in formalizing the structure of the organization.

A year of recruiting followed and in October 2008, the first Board of AWWI, comprised of equal parts industry and NGOS, was seated and Julia Levin, representing Audubon, served as the first Board Chair. The IRS granted AWWI 501(c)(3) non-profit status in March, 2009 (retroactive to December, 2007).

AWWI Officers and Staff

Abby Arnold, Executive Director

Abby is also Vice President and Senior Mediator at Kearns & West. Abby has facilitated and managed numerous collaboratives, including the National Wind Coordinating Collaborative since its inception. She brings over twenty years of experience leading consensus building and strategy for collaboratives and agreement focused negotiations for the private sector, non-profits, and policy makers. These have addressed the nation’s challenges in managing energy resources, water, and other natural resources. She is responsible for convening, facilitating, and mediating projects or advising leaders on how to address development of policy and specific siting issues for wind power, other renewables, and transmission lines. Ms. Arnold is facilitator for the Secretary of Interior’s Wind Turbine Advisory Committee. Abby offers strategic advice to policy makers and leaders developing the clean technology industry, as they build partnerships to address complex issues that arise as new energy efficiency technologies and renewables become commercial. Abby lives in Washington DC with her family and loves the outdoors.

Judd A. Howell, Ph.D., Director of Research and Evaluation

Judd is the former director of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, where he managed a broad, multi-disciplinary program of biological research, inventory and monitoring, and information management. Judd has extensive experience with AWWI’s core mission of facilitating collaboration between the wind energy industry and wildlife conservationists. He led a comprehensive research program to examine the impacts of wind energy development in California on birds that led to 17 reports and papers to industry from 1987 to 1997, some of which are recognized as pioneering work in the field. Prior to his work on wind energy development, Judd worked extensively with raptors in Wyoming and California. In addition to his work at AWWI, Judd is a Senior Associate Wildlife Ecologist for HT. Harvey and Associates, an environmental consulting firm headquartered in Los Gatos, CA, and an Adjunct Professor in the Wildlife Department of Humboldt State University.

Matt Kireker, Program Manager

Matt comes to AWWI from the Obama presidential campaign, having worked in the Iowa caucuses and four other states during the primaries and as Regional Political Director for northern Nevada in the general. AWWI is the second manifestation of Matt’s passion for environmental issues, having interned with the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works in the summer of 2005.

AWWI Photo and Video Credits

• Great Blue Heron Photo by: Joe Orban
• Red Tailed Hawk Photo by: Stacy Niedzwiecki
• Videos by Lake Champlain Productions, Inc.