Assemblymember Deborah J. Glick, 66th Assembly District Manhattan, announced today the passage of her legislation A.1903A to make energy generating wind turbines less dangerous to birds. Specifically, the bill will require wind energy facilities to paint turbine blades in a way that minimizes collisions with birds.

Assemblymember Glick said, “Wind turbines are a crucial component of New York’s transition to renewable energy so we must make certain that they are designed with bird safety in mind. Very promising research has shown that painting a single turbine blade black reduces strikes by over 70%, and a host of federal agencies including the US Department of Energy are currently engaging in a study on a larger scale. If the FAA confirms these findings, this legislation will require the Office of Renewable Energy Siting to adopt uniform standards for coloring blades that will drastically reduce bird mortality.”