The Department of the Interior under the Trump administration has hit Ørsted Onshore North America with a proposed $32,340 civil penalty after two bald eagles were found dead near its wind turbines in Nebraska and Illinois, officials say. Federal wildlife investigators concluded necropsies showed both eagles died from collisions with turbines and allege the company lacked the required incidental take permit under the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act.
Federal agents discovered the first bald eagle in March 2024 near a turbine at the Plum Creek facility in Wayne County, Nebraska. The eagle’s remains were examined at the National Fish and Wildlife Forensics Laboratory, which determined the fatality was caused by a collision with a wind turbine.
The second incident occurred on April 18, at the Lincoln Land site in Illinois, where an eagle was found about 200 yards from a turbine. Necropsy results again pointed to a turbine strike as the likely cause of death, prompting the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to open an enforcement notice.
Because Ørsted did not hold an incidental take permit, the Fish and Wildlife Service is proposing penalties of $16,170 per violation, totaling $32,340, and has given the company 45 days to respond. The notice stresses the government’s duty to protect these birds and treats the violations as serious matters requiring accountability.
Ørsted told regulators it received the notice on Oct. 29 and that it “will continue to engage and cooperate with USFWS on this matter.” The company also voluntarily notified the bureau about the deaths and followed instructions to preserve the carcasses, a point the notice acknowledges while still deeming the violations consequential.
Ørsted Onshore North America is a U.S. arm of Danish energy giant Ørsted A/S and operates multiple land-based wind farms across the country. The parent company bills itself with the mission to “create a world that runs entirely on green energy.” The firm also posts the line, “We are building and shaping America’s clean energy industry, creating jobs, boosting economies, partnering with local communities, and conserving nature,” as part of its public-facing goals.
Ørsted’s high-profile projects have been politically charged, and the company was held up by the previous administration as part of a broader green energy agenda that critics say prioritized ideology over reliability. Ocean Wind 1 and Ocean Wind 2 in New Jersey became flashpoints in 2023 and were ultimately canceled amid cost and feasibility concerns, an episode opponents say exposed the limits of big renewable promises.
The enforcement notice reiterates a blunt message: “the gravity of these violations is serious,” and warns that despite growing populations, bald eagles still face many human-caused threats. It also underscores cultural stakes, noting, “Bald eagles and golden eagles are trust species of the United States and of religious and cultural significance to Native Americans,” and that the government takes its protective obligations seriously.
Interior Secretary Doug Burgum has criticized parts of the green energy push, arguing projects have caused grid instability and higher costs. He said, “When you think about the green new scam, it was pro-China and it’s anti-American and it’s also unaffordable and unreliable,” words that reflect a broader Republican critique of how some renewable policies were pursued.
The agency’s enforcement action shows how environmental protection and energy policy collide in real-world projects, especially when wildlife laws and large-scale development intersect. Ørsted faces a formal penalty process now, and the outcome will test how strictly regulators enforce wildlife protections against the backdrop of a politically charged energy transition.
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