In 2008, Spain set a milestone in the protection of birdlife against collision and electrocution on power lines with the approval of Royal Decree 1432/2008, dated August 29. This is a basic industrial safety regulation that establishes technical specifications for overhead power lines with voltage ≥1 kV with bare conductors, in order to reduce the risks of electrocution and collision for birdlife, which also results in improved quality of the power supply service. The Royal Decree applies to both old and new lines located in so-called “protection areas,” which are defined as including at least the following areas:
a) Territories designated as Special Protection Areas for Birds (SPAs), in accordance with Articles 43 and 44 of Law 42/2007, of December 13, on Natural Heritage and Biodiversity.
b) Areas covered by recovery and conservation plans developed by autonomous communities for bird species included in the Spanish Catalog of Endangered Species or in regional catalogs.
c) Priority areas for breeding, feeding, dispersal, and local concentration of those bird species included in the Spanish Catalog of Endangered Species or in regional catalogs, when such areas are not already covered by paragraphs a) or b) of this article.
Since its publication, the different autonomous communities have been declaring their respective protection areas and their lists of dangerous lines for birds, which entitle them to receive state subsidies for their correction.
Sixteen years after its publication, a review of the Royal Decree is necessary due to the emergence of new anti-electrocution and anti-collision devices and technologies, as well as the need to clarify certain aspects related to its integration with other higher-level environmental regulations, and especially concerning the responsibility for funding the corrections.
The Spanish Ministry for Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge (MITERD) has just launched a public consultation process for all interested parties to provide specific information on this issue and propose measures to prevent incidents and effectively assess the impact on bird populations. The consultation also includes mortality in wind farms, with the aim of ensuring that the future Royal Decree also addresses this issue.
More information at:
Public Consultation: https://www.miteco.gob.es/es/biodiversidad/participacion-publica/cpp-rd-tendidos.html
Royal Decree 1432/2008 of 29 August establishing measures for the protection of birdlife against collision and electrocution on high voltage power lines: https://www.boe.es/buscar/doc.php?id=BOE-A-2008-14914