Buffett Company Conceals Wind-Farm Bird Deaths

Buffett-owned power company sues to block data on wind-farm bird slaughter

Pacificorp — an energy company owned by Warren Buffett's holding company, Berkshire Hathaway — is suing Obama's Interior Department.

The surprising reason: Interior is going to follow the Freedom of Information Act and disclose to an Associated Press reporter how many birds are killed by Pacificorp's wind farms. Pacificorp is suing to block the disclosure.

Here's the story by AP's Dina Cappiello:

Wind energy companies objected to the AP's efforts to uncover more information about the numbers of bird deaths. The companies said the information was confidential, submitted voluntarily and should not be revealed under the government's open records law.

Wind power is heavily subsidized, and could not compete with more conventional power (coal, gas, nuclear and hydro) if it were protected from the market. The fact that it kills a large number of birds, particularly the large charismatic raptors, as well as vast numbers of insectivorous bats, already threatened by disease and habitat loss needs to be publicized while the public is being made to support it. If the law as written does not permit that, the law should be amended.



Found through Wombat-socho's "In the Mailbox: 11.20.14", via The Lonely Conservative.