Biodiversity on the line: life cycle impact assessment of power lines on birds and mammals in Norway

Abstract

Abstract The global shift towards renewable energy plays an important role in fighting climate change. To facilitate the global growth of renewable energy production, the expansion of the electric grid becomes inevitable. Yet further construction of power lines poses a risk to biodiversity. Power lines traverse natural habitats and can lead to habitat conversion, fragmentation, and loss. Moreover, due to collisions and electrocutions, power lines kill hundreds of millions of birds each year. These impacts, however, have so far not been incorporated into decision-making. Life cycle assessment (LCA) is a widely used framework to compare environmental impacts and support decision-makers in planning and promoting sustainable strategies. We adapted existing life cycle impact assessment (LCIA) models to quantify the three main impacts of power lines on biodiversity: collision, electrocution, and habitat conversion and fragmentation. Our models incorporated species-area and species-habitat relationships to assess the effects of power lines on the diversity of birds and non-flying mammals in Norway, as the country is currently committed to reducing its emissions by expanding its renewable energy capacity. Overall, habitat conversion and fragmentation had the highest impact across the three impact categories, particularly affecting mammal richness. Furthermore, distribution lines often affected species richness more than transmission lines. The effect of the three impact pathways varied among different species groups, highlighting the vulnerability of certain species to habitat change, collision, and electrocution. Integrating LCIA models that quantify the impacts of power lines on biodiversity into LCA can support decision-makers with tools to promote the development of the electric grid without overlooking its effect on species richness. In addition, our models set the stage for a comprehensive assessment of the effects of electricity generation and transmission on biodiversity.