** 6:45 PM UPDATE: Video footage of the global warming roundtable with British Prime Minister Tony Blair and California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger will reportedly be up very soon.

** The global warming roundtable featuring British Prime Minister Tony Blair and California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger is underway at the Port of Long Beach. The two are announcing what may become a new State of California/United Kingdom cap-and-trade market in greenhouse gas emissions. Meanwhile, here is a story from today’s Times of London on heat storms around the world in the new greenhouse era. It makes some points also made in my “California’s Perfect Energy Storm” column below. Note an unanticipated problem with nuclear power, which would appear to be part of a global warming solution. Some reactors in Europe had to be shut down because the rivers providing coolant water were too warm.

Although the event is not being webcast live, I will have a link to recorded footage of the Blair-Schwarzenegger roundtable later today.

** Confirming previous reports, ace Democratic political consultant Gale Kaufman, quarterback of last year’s Alliance for a Better California (ABC) labor coalition that defeated Schwarzenegger’s special election initiative agenda, will work with a new business/labor coalition to defeat the Clean Money initiative, Proposition 89 on California’s November ballot. Prop 89 is sponsored by the California Nurses Association (CNA), which was a key element in the anti-Arnold campaign of last year. But this year the California Teachers Association (CTA) is strongly opposed to the CNA move, as is the laborers union. The California Labor Federation is neutral. Kaufman will work with several Republican consultants in running the “Stop 89″ campaign, the current co-chairs of which are California Chamber of Commerce chairman Alan Zaremberg, California Business Roundtable head Bill Hauck, and California Taxpayers Association chief Larry McCarthy. All close allies of … Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger.

** Sunday’s KNBC-TV L.A. News Conference show, featuring Arnold Schwarzenegger for Governor campaign manager Steve Schmidt, Phil Angelides for Governor chief strategist Bill Carrick, host Conan Nolan, and some guy standing next to a river squinting into the sun, can be found here.

** Watch global and national energy prices in near real time via Bloomberg.

** Continuous coverage of the Israel-Hezbollah War from Pajamas Media. Israel’s bombing of civilians in Lebanon led to its declaration of a 48-hour cessation of air strikes. However, a few Israeli strikes have occurrred subsequently, to protect Israeli forces, says the Israeli military.

** Former Governor Gray Davis consigliere and Steve Westly chief strategist Garry South‘s posts here at New West Notes criticizing the candidacy of Democratic gubernatorial nominee Phil Angelides discussed in articles in the L.A. Daily News and Capitol Weekly.

Watts Up? New, Unanticipated Factors Meant Schwarzenegger Barely Weathered Perfect Energy Storm, on Pajamas Media.

WEATHERING what may have been California’s worst ever heat wave, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger survived the very issue that began his recalled predecessor’s downward spiral. In doing so, the governor grappled with issues that may afflict the rest of the nation. It was a perfect energy storm. And it may prove not to be uncommon.

Democratic Governor Gray Davis was flying high five years ago when rolling blackouts hit California, kicking him into a tailspin from which he never recovered. Those blackouts, later shown to have been partly manipulated by Enron and other power generators, occurred when electric power demand from the state’s regulated utilities was 41,000 megawatts. This past week Schwarzenegger narrowly managed to avert blackouts with the peak power demand at 52,000 megawatts.

He was helped because the Enron-style market manipulation, which led to billions in fines, was a thing of the past. But Schwarzenegger nearly crashed as well. The conditions for another tailspin were omnipresent. The demand for electric power was suddenly much higher than it was just last summer. And far higher than forecast when he came into office after ousting Davis in the Golden State’s raucous recall election of 2003.

Just after Schwarzenegger was elected in October 2003, the management agency of California’s electric power grid, the California Independent System Operator, delivered a five-year forecast of the state’s power needs …

** FOLLOWING THE DISASTER IN QANA, Israel has agreed to halt aerial activity over Lebanon for 48 hours.

** In San Francisco, British Prime Minister Tony Blair has called for a prompt cessation of hostilities in the Israel-Hezbollah War based upon a UN Security Council resolution he is working on. He stopped short of calling for an immediate ceasefire.

** The killing of dozens of children and women in the Lebanese city of Qana may mark a significant turn in the Israel-Hezbollah War. U.S. and British efforts to effect a ceasefire favorable to Israeli military objectives appear to have collapsed in the wake of the incident. The Israeli military says that Qana was the source of multiple Hezbollah rocket attacks against Israel. But Islamic Jihadist guerillas hiding amongst civilians is not a new phenomenon, as the Israelis know better than anyone. What counts in the overall of politics is the bottom line, as the Israelis also know better than anyone.

** Miami Vice movie opens at #1 at the North American box office. New West mini-review to follow.

** Continuous coverage of the Israel-Hezbollah War fom Pajamas Media. Israel’s bombing of civilians in Lebanon has cast a pall over its efforts and short-circuited U.S. and British efforts to effect a ceasefire favorable to Israeli military objectives. British Prime Minister Tony Blair, incidentally, is presently running the U.K. government out of the Fairmont Hotel high atop Nob Hill in San Francisco.

** Global and national energy price watch, courtesy of Bloomberg. U.S. electricity prices have had a significant drop.


** 7:15 PM UPDATE: Today’s peak electric power demand in California was over a thousand megawatts less than forecast. Meanwhile, it is getting to be about time to head in to dinner.

** David Geffen. Eli Broad. Ron Burkle. They all want the stumbling Times. Circulation is down in the high-growth LA Times area more than any other conventional media publication in America. The decline coincides with its absentee corporate ownership in Chicago. And with its former editor’s desperate and wildly unsuccessful attempt to destroy Arnold Schwarzenegger in the 2003 recall election for governor of California. Despite what the Tribune Corp. says, the paper is in play.

Meanwhile, the paper has remarkably little cyberspace presence beyond the big brand name and consequently highly trafficked web site. Make no mistake, it is a very fine newspaper and California would be much the worse off without it. But despite its massive staff and budget, it is routinely beaten on stories of consequence. Its only name journalist to venture into cyberspace, a Pulitzer Prize winner, no less, got his ears boxed for fakery and ludicrous partisanship and is now a sports reporter.

** As I was saying, get used to heat storms in the greenhouse era.

** Continuous coverage of the Israel-Hezbollah War on Pajamas Media. Israeli forces have pulled back from a Hezbollah stronghold in Southern Lebanon. The U.S. and Britain are seeking a ceasefire agreement which would lead to the establishment of a buffer zone in Southern Lebanon and the disbanding of Hezbollah, mirroring the military objectives of Israel after those objectives were downgraded from the destruction of Hezbollah.

** Global and national energy price watch from Bloomberg. Crude oil prices have pulled back a bit with the U.S. becoming more involved in seeking a diplomatic resolution to the Israel-Hezbollah War.

3:15 PM UPDATE: Taped the KNBC-TV LA News Conference show earlier this afternoon with Angelides chief strategist Bill Carrick, Schwarzenegger campaign manager Steve Schmidt, and host Conan Nolan, with each of us in a different location. It airs Sunday in LA. I got to be outdoors guy, standing next to a sunny river, sans shades, naturally. Carrick was dismissive of this week’s polls, insistent that his Democratic candidate will win in a Democratic state over a candidate close to Bush who’s broken all his promises. Schmidt was coolly confident and upbeat and relentlessly attacking of the governor’s opponent. It was an interesting snapshot. I was just glad it was only 95 degrees.

** 12:10 PM UPDATE: At the noon hour, California’s peak electric power demand in the ISO area is just over 40,000 megawatts, a little under the forecast for the hour. The peak load today was forecast at a little over 43,000 megawatts, well under the high 40s and low 50s that marked the extreme weather event just past.

** Global and national energy price watch, updated continuously in near real time, courtesy of Bloomberg.

** Continuous coverage of the Israel-Hezbollah War from Pajamas Media. Hezbollah resistance has been stronger than anticipated, their technological capabilities greater than expected, and their ability to hold out is presenting a psychological and political challenge throughout the Middle East region to Israel, where support for the war remains overwhelming, and the U.S.

** Follow California’s peak electric power demand throughout the day in near real time from Cal ISO. After 12 days of record heat, the extreme weather event has subsided and the electric power crisis is over, but we’ll monitor the power situation for another day.

As word circulated yesterday of the new Field Poll showing the massive infrastructure bonds package on California’s November ballot losing steam, political insiders buzzed about the numbers and what they mean. It’s clear that if Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and legislative Democrats want the infrastructure bonds package to pass, they are going to have to campaign hard for it. This is the post-Proposition 82 Reiner initiative environment, in which voters are more skeptical about seemingly good ideas that cost money.

While some took comfort in the knowledge that opposition to the bonds is not well organized and is unlikely to have major funding, the fact is that all the infrastructure bond initiatives lost ground from two months earlier. And some insiders note that not only did controversial movie director Rob Reiner’s tax-the-rich-for-universal-preschool initiative go down in a June primary election dominated by a Democratic gubernatorial primary contest, so too did a non-controversial bond measure for public libraries, which had no organized opposition.

The Field Poll has the following results on the infrastructure bonds initiatives: Proposition 1B transportation bonds leads, 54% to 27%. Proposition 1C affordable housing bonds trails, 33% to 42%. Proposition 1D education construction bonds leads, 48% to 37%. Proposition 1D, levee repair and disaster preparedness bonds leads, 47% to 33%. All of those initiatives were placed on the ballot by the Legislature and Schwarzenegger. Proposition 84, water and parks bonds, placed on the ballot by environmental groups and endorsed by Schwarzenegger, leads 49% to 31%.

Notably, only the transportation bonds measure has over 50% support. All the others are under 50%, normally a major warning sign with regard to their prospects.

The affordable housing bonds, the one initiative which Schwarzenegger keeps forgetting to mention as he stumps around the state, is in terrible shape with only 33% support. The others could pass, but will all require major campaigns. Even in the absence of a well-funded opposition campaign, as defeat of the library bonds measure in June makes plain.

There is a campaign committee to pass the infrastructure package. However, to date, although a passel of political consultants has been tapped to play roles in running the campaign, no one has actually been formally hired.

Schwarzenegger and legislative leaders, including the Democrats, Senate President Pro Tem Don Perata and Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez, will reportedly meet next week on the matter.

Fundraising is also lagging. With Schwarzenegger focused on his re-election campaign — he continues to far outstrip his Democratic challenger, Treasurer Phil Angelides — Perata and Nunez are for now in charge of the funding.

While support for the bonds has really sagged among Republicans, their support levels among independent voters also leaves much to be desired for this point in the election cycle.

What the overwhelming landslide defeat of the Reiner initiative, 61% to 39%, and the shocker though much closer defeat of the library bonds initiative in June demonstrated is that voters have become very wary of expensive ballot measures that don’t provide a core benefit to their lives.

Most Californians do not use public libraries. Most Californians do not have children of preschool age. In addition, as several consultants noted, the state is spending much of its tax revenue windfall on schools, which have also benefited from various bond measures around the state in recent years.

So it is unsurprising that the infrastructure bond measure enjoying the strongest support is the transportation initiative, as most Californians are acutely aware of the need for serious upgrades and expansions to roads and highways and improvements for transit systems. The levee repair and flood management bonds run second best among the measures placed on the ballot by Schwarzenegger and the Legislature as they deal with a clear and present danger. Though that danger will need to be spelled out again for voters in Southern California who are far from the endangered levees in the Northern and Central parts of the state.

In contrast, the bonds for affordable housing look like “social engineering,” as two political advisors put it, nice ideas that will not benefit a majority. The education construction bonds lead, but fare only third best among those placed by the leadership because Californians already feel they are doing a lot for the schools.

The water and parks bonds, separately placed on the ballot by environmental groups after legislative Republicans made it clear their votes were not available, fare fairly well because voters are favorably disposed to promoting environmental protection.

But with support levels even for core concerns such as transportation and levee repair perilously close to the 50% level, even those measures will require active, bipartisan campaigning from Schwarzenegger and his Democratic allies to avoid an embarrassing defeat for the bipartisanship so hailed in the Capitol just a few months ago. They may need to make some hard choices, such as on the affordable housing bonds, in order to ensure victory for the heart of the package.

** AN OBSERVATION: If Arnold Schwarzenegger and legislative Democrats want the infrastructure bonds package to pass, they are going to have to campaign hard for it. This is the post-Prop 82 (Reiner Initiative) environment.

** 5 PM UPDATE: California electric power demand has already crested and begun subsiding for the day, over 1000 megawatts below the forecast peak.

** 3:30 PM UPDATE: California electric power demand has again just broken last year’s state record. But demand is running under today’s forecast on the current trendline, and power supplies are more than ample enough to meet the demand.

** Global and national energy price watch, updated continuously in near real time, courtesy of Bloomberg.

** Continuous coverage of the Israel-Hezbollah War from Pajamas Media. Israeli forces have found the going tougher than expected and need more time to establish their cordon sanitaire in Lebanon. No ceasefire in sight.

** Follow California’s peak electric power demand throughout the day in near real time from Cal ISO. After 11 days of record heat, the extreme weather event has subsided, but we’ll monitor the power situation for the next two days.

Now you know why the bus is green. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger was on the final day of his second bus tour of the general election campaign yesterday as word came of a new Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC) Poll giving him a 13-point lead over his Democratic challenger, Treasurer Phil Angelides. The poll was primarily about environmental issues and showed that Schwarzenegger has made great strides in public perception since a similar poll in February showed him standing no higher in public estimation on the environment than unpopular President George W. Bush.

Which had been quite remarkable, because the governor has a very pro-environmental record for a Republican, much more so than Bush. The Sierra Nevada mountain conservancy, ocean protection, global warming, offshore oil drilling, renewable energy, all areas in which Schwarzenegger’s administration had moved in ways unlike other Republican administrations. Yet just five months ago, he was viewed by Californians, according to the PPIC poll released on February 23rd, as about the same as Bush on the environment. Which disappointed Schwarzenegger and his people.

Indeed, as I wrote then, Schwarzenegger had enacted the biggest solar energy program in history just the month before. Yet none of that had connected with the public, in large part because his previous group discouraged much public airing of his environmental views.

A top Democratic advisor, who wished the governor no good fortune, marveled in February at this vaunted communicator’s “failure to communicate.” His team, said the strategist, “and he need to do what Gray Davis did on the Democratic side, emphasize what makes him different as a Republican. Not as a fake Democrat like they’re doing now, but different as a Republican. Like Gray did constantly playing up his Vietnam War service and support for the death penalty. The environment is that thing for Schwarzenegger. I won’t say this publicly, but he has good policies there. But if he doesn’t keep reminding Californians, they don’t know. He thinks because he’s famous and he says something everybody pays attention and remembers. Well, they don’t. They’ve seen the act and nobody is hanging on his every word.”

That, of course, is precisely what Team Arnold did do, play up the environment. In a ramped up schedule of events as governor, including a high-profile global warming summit in San Francisco, and in TV advertising, including two ads running around the state right now. As a result, Schwarzenegger has gained strength and credibility in the issue area, which he is using effectively to differentiate himself from Bush.

Schwarzenegger leads Angelides in the new PPIC Poll, 43% to 30%, with 4% going to veteran Green Party candidate Peter Camejo and 1% each to the Libertarian and American Independent candidates.

The numbers are a little different from the Field Poll and the credible private polls on both sides of the partisan aisle, for two reasons. First, PPIC does not do a push question at this stage of the campaign. Second, the minor party candidates are included, something which Field and most of the other pollsters are not doing.

The PPIC Poll is primarily about the environment, not the political horse race. There it shows very strong public support for measures to combat global warming — which well over 60% of likely voters believe is well underway — and air pollution, and to promote renewable power development and energy efficiency. Schwarzenegger’s job approval rating is up to 49% among likely voters, as in the Field Poll.

Schwarzenegger’s numbers on the environment have come up sharply from their previous Bush-like levels. But that means that Schwarzenegger’s approval ratings for handling environmental issues are somewhat mixed. 44% approve of his performance on the environment, 36% disapprove, and 20% don’t know. And, notwithstanding the governor’s big push on renewable energy, views of his energy policy are split, with 40% approving, 38% disapproving, and 22% unsure.

It’s fortunate for the former action superstar that the long heat storm has ended without rolling blackouts.

Still, he has made tremendous strides in this area and as a result is well-positioned for re-election.

** 10 PM UPDATE: In the latest Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC) Poll, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has a 13-point lead over his Democratic challenger, Treasurer Phil Angelides. The former action superstar leads the former state Democratic chairman, 43% to 30%. Running in a distant third, Green Party candidate Peter Camejo garners 4% of the vote, while the Libertarian and American Independent candidates each pick up 1% of the projected vote.

The numbers are a little different from the Field Poll and the credible private polls on both sides of the partisan aisle, for two reasons. First, PPIC does not do a push question at this stage of the campaign. Second, the minor party candidates are included, something which Field and most of the other pollsters are not doing.

The PPIC Poll is primarily about the environment, not the political horse race. There it shows very strong public support for measures to combat global warming — which well over 60% of likely voters believe is well underway — and air pollution, and to promote renewable power development and energy efficiency. Schwarzenegger’s job approval rating is up to 49% among likely voters, as in the Field Poll.

But, in something of a warning sign for the former Mr. Universe, his rating on the environment is not as high as his overall rating. In this, he is probably hurt on two fronts. First, he and his previous team did not emphasize his environmental moves. Second, he wears the Republican brand. And that brand is associated with President George W. Bush. And Bush is seen as antithetical to environmental concerns by the overwhelming majority of Californians.

So that is a glimmer of hope for Phil Angelides and his legions of fans.

In addition, the oil severance tax initiative, Proposition 87, designed to raise $400 million a year from a tax on oil at the wellhead, is running way ahead with over 60% of the vote. Public anger against the oil companies is real, and desire to raise money to develop and promote alternative fuels is a major factor.

** Tomorrow’s peak electric power demand, at something over 46,000 megawatts in the Cal ISO service area (minus the munis in LA, Sacramento, and smaller cities) is just a tad over what was forecast in the fall of 2003 for this summer and so is back on the normal track.

** 5:30 PM UPDATE: California’s electric power demand topped out at 47,744 megawatts in the Cal ISO service area, nearly 2500 megawatts less than forecast today. The load is now down to 46,503 megawatts. The crisis is over.

** San Francisco and Los Angeles made the final cut of three cities for the U.S. pick for the 2016 Olympics Games.

3 PM UPDATE: Today’s forecast peak electric power demand for California has dropped by over 2000 megawatts. Barring massive equipment failure, the crisis caused by the current extreme weather event is past.

** 1:15 PM UPDATE: California has broken the state record for electric power demand set last July for the 10th day in a row in this extreme weather event, as of 1:10 PM. However, the peak demand trendline for the day is running lower than the forecast.

Meanwhile, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger tours a “cool center” set up by the state in the LA area. No late word on whether popsicles were available. Or whether pastels were optional in the obvious circumstance of black no longer being black.

** New West friend Marc Cooper is underwowed by Bush-style diplomacy in the Israel-Hezbollah War.

** Look for a New West Newsbreak on the California campaign tonight at 10 PM Pacific time.

** Common Cause and the League of Women Voters have endorsed the Clean Money initiative, Proposition 89 on California’s November ballot, sponsored by the California Nurses Association.

** Track California’s peak electric power demand, which is slowly declining during the current extreme weather event, in near real time with Cal ISO.

** Get continuous updates on global and national energy prices, with crude oil prices creeping upwards again toward record levels, courtesy of Bloomberg.

** Continuous coverage of the Israel-Hezbollah War from Pajamas Media. No ceasefire in sight.

July 26th, 2006

Wind Power, Windy Politics

In some embarrassing news for Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, who styles himself a champion of renewable energy, Texas has just passed California as the number one state in the country for wind power. Meanwhile, Schwarzenegger’s trailing Democratic challenger, Treasurer Phil Angelides, sought to capitalize on current energy concern by presenting an energy action plan, with details to be revealed after he is sworn into office.

“Within 100 days of taking office,” declared Angelides in his prepared statement, “I will unveil an action plan that will ensure the state has sufficient power with a 15 percent reserve – along with needed improvements to the transmission grid — to provide adequate power to protect our families, our economy, and our businesses.”

This promise of an energy plan within 100 days of being sworn in as governor was the first part of Angelides’ three-part energy plan announced yesterday. In the second part, he said would revive the late California Power Authority. Finally, he pledged to appoint an energy czar.

The old state power authority, which I strongly supported in a series of columns and articles early in this decade, was an Angelides-sponsored agency whose creation was engineered by the treasurer and his ally, then Senate President Pro Tem John Burton. It was approved by then Governor Gray Davis, who allowed his chief energy advisor during the 2001 electric power crisis, veteran public utility executive David Freeman, to become power authority chairman. But by the time Schwarzenegger abolished it after taking office, few cared about it.

The agency had a broadscale charge, with the potential ability to take over power plants from manipulating merchant power generators and to use its multi-billion dollar bonding capability to build “peaker” power plants (which would be quite useful in the current heat storm) and create vast new investments in renewable energy and energy efficiency projects.

But the state power authority, on whose board Angelides served, proved to be a bust. Virtually nothing was accomplished. At one memorable board meeting, attended by the treasurer, scores of power generators came to pitch projects, most of them for renewable power. Despite promises and high hopes, they ended up with nothing. In addition, the agency’s forecast of the state’s future power needs missed what is now occurring.

Angelides himself did not attend most of the state power authority’s board meetings. It was a great disappointment.

“Arnold Schwarzenegger,” the Democratic candidate declared yesterday, “promised us in 2004, ‘Trust me. Everything will be under control. Your lights will stay on.’ And for three years, Arnold Schwarzenegger has been singing the music of California’s deregulation scheme, thwarting efforts to create an environment that attracts clean power to California,” said Angelides. “It’s time to send a strong signal to the market that the failed deregulation experiment of Enron, George Bush, and the energy power pirates is over once and for all.”

“The Governor’s energy policy can be summed up in four words: Pray for Mild Weather,” said Angelides. “Governor Schwarzenegger has put California’s energy in the hands of the power barons who have been fined more than $5.3 billion for market manipulation. The result is a crazy quilt energy policy that is not working for California.”

While there is much to fault Schwarzenegger on with regard to energy, the reality is that the core of his approach on electric power is not a widespread deregulation scheme but to run the system primarily through the state’s Public Utilities Commission, following the outlines of a bill by former Assemblyman Rod Wright (D-Los Angeles) signed into law by former Governor Gray Davis. The core of the approach is to promote long-term power contracts regulated and approved by the PUC.

This is the complete antithesis of the wide-open daily “spot” market which was so successfully gamed in the past by various companies including, as Angelides mentioned, the late Enron Corp., which was a political contributor to Angelides.

Schwarzenegger does support creating a “direct access” market for large businesses seeking better deals with power generators, but that hasn’t happened.

While the reality of the energy situation in California is not as Angelides portrays it, many critics have legitimate concerns with the course of Schwarzenegger’s energy policy. There has been tremendous criticism of the governor’s chief energy advisor, Joe Desmond, for his preoccupation with the so-called Frontier Line project. This is a speculative and very expensive venture to provide more transmission capability around the West. It is also a way to more easily bring coal-fired power from the Mountain West to market.

Desmond is an excellent briefer with a strong grasp of the issues, as he has demonstrated to the state’s press corps this week. But many fault him for putting such focus on the Frontier Line for the future at the expense of a greater focus on pushing through conventional power plants and renewable energy projects in the near term. Indeed, this was a principal reason why he was not confirmed by the Senate as chairman of the California Energy Commission. Desmond continues in government as undersecretary of the resources agency.

Schwarzenegger has repeatedly called for more renewable power for California, and has accelerated the state’s renewable portfolio standard — under which utilities are required to get 20 percent of their electric power from renewable sources — from 2017 to 2010. But, although he succeeded in getting his Million Solar Roofs program enacted earlier this year, the acceleration in rhetoric has not yet been matched by an acceleration in production.

Indeed, Texas has now passed California as the number one state in the country for the production of electric power by wind turbines.

California had long been the national leader in wind power — and had been the world leader — since the inception of its programs by former Governor Jerry Brown over a quarter-century ago.

The American Wind Energy Association announced yesterday that Texas now has 2,370 megawatts of capacity. California has 2,323 megawatts of wind power capacity.

Renewable power advocate V. John White, an Angelides supporter who nonetheless has been admiring of Schwarzenegger on a number of energy and environmental fronts, says that the “megawords have not been matched by megawatts.”

However, as he and others note, in addition to a lack of push from the state, wind projects in California have been of late hampered by regulation, something which has not been as much of a factor in Texas. In particular, there has been increased concern about the fate of birds drawn to the massive wind turbines.