Benedetta Laboni

RE(newable)WILDING WIND ENERGY:
Empowering Nature’s Resurgence in Sustainable Energy Landscapes

In the pursuit of sustainable energy solutions, the integration of renewable energy and rewilding efforts could emerge as a promising avenue for addressing climate change and biodiversity loss. The project explores the concept of RE(newable)WILDING WIND ENERGY, which envisions the transformation of wind energy landscapes into climate-mitigating habitats through the integration of rewilding efforts. By strategically utilising wind farms’ expansive rural or remote landscapes for rewilding initiatives, it is possible to create and restore biodiversity in those areas.

The feasibility of integration for the project was examined through various synergies such as “big-scale landscape planning”, “remote or rural location” and “strategic positioning between biodiversity protected sites” while emphasising their shared goal of climate mitigation. The Galway Wind Park, strategically located between two legally protected areas, was used as an ideal case study, which also demonstrates how such integration can be scaled up to other wind farms with similar characteristics. Moreover, considerations of landscape sensitivity and existing habitats were used to underscore the importance of preserving biodiversity and ecosystem services. The Wind Park, situated within Coillte’s extensive forest, presented an opportunity to implement a rewilding intervention which involved redesigning peatland forests and associated habitats, promoting wildlife connectivity and species diversity enhancement alongside timber production and clean energy generation. The Galway Wind Park served as a model for integrating renewable energy production with rewilding practices, demonstrating how wind farms can play a role in achieving both environmental and energy sustainability goals.