WORKSHOP - BATS AND ELECTRIC POWER: OPPORTUNITIES FOR SCALABLE SOLUTIONS (STUDENT)

Wednesday, October 14, 2:00 pm - 6:00 pm Electricity demand is increasing rapidly, requiring significant expansion of generation and transmission infrastructure across the landscape. At the same time, bat populations are declining, elevating regulatory and operational risks and presenting conservation opportunities for the electric power industry. We need energy. We need resilient bat populations. How can we work together to achieve both? This workshop will bring together researchers, industry representatives, regulators, and conservation practitioners to holistically identify ongoing efforts, critical research needs, and knowledge gaps to create opportunities for practical, scalable management and mitigation solutions at the intersection of bat conservation and electric power. A series of short introductory talks will provide context on the scale of projected energy demand and infrastructure build-out and offer an overview of various organizations' plans and efforts to develop solutions to support resilient bat populations and achieve societal energy goals. These presentations will be interspersed with facilitated panel discussions, interactive-style activities designed to foster collaboration and idea-sharing across stakeholders. Together, participants will explore common goals, identify actions that can be taken now to lay the foundation for long-term solutions, and consider how to align incentives to create as many win-win outcomes as possible for bats and energy.