The endangered Indiana bat (Myotis sodalis) became one of the most prominent issues facing wind energy development throughout the Midwest and eastern US in 2009, resulting in additional scrutiny for wind projects throughout Indiana bat range. WEST developed proposals and signed two contracts to develop Habitat Conservation Plans (HCP) in application for Incidental Take Permits (ITP) under Section 10 of the Endangered Species Act (ESA) – one for the Beech Ridge Wind Energy Project in West Virginia, and one for the Criterion Wind Project in Maryland. WEST’s volume of HCPs continued to increase over the remainder of the decade with an additional 27 contracts between 2014 and 2020. #WEST30Years
