Concerns about golden eagles are partly prompting the redesign of a Scottish wind farm
A golden eagle photographed in Scotland. The bird of prey is protected under the U.K.’s Wildlife and Countryside Act, 1981.
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Plans for an onshore wind farm in Scotland have been revised after a number of concerns, including those related to how the project might affect golden eagles.
If built, the Scoop Hill Community Wind Farm will have 60 turbines instead of the 75 that were originally proposed.
The tip height of four turbines in the development, in Dumfries and Galloway, will also be lowered.
In a project update last week, the firm behind the Scoop Hill Community Wind Farm said revisions to the development had been made after “extensive and iterative discussions” with both the local community and consultees.
“During the consultation period, comments were raised by consultees and local residents, primarily relating to landscape and visual impacts, residential amenity, cultural heritage, dark skies and golden eagles,” Community Windpower said.
The company said it would now submit additional documentation to the Scottish government’s Energy Consents Unit in the spring.
“We have taken on board comments raised by consultees and the local community and have made significant, positive changes to the proposed layout,” said Rebecca Elliott, senior project manager for the Scoop Hill facility.
Elliott added that she looked forward to “discussing the updated proposal with the community in the coming months.”
Golden eagle concerns
The decision to reduce the number of turbines for Scoop Hill follows a period of consultation for the project.
Those responding to the consultation included RSPB Scotland, a charity focused on conservation. In a letter sent to the Energy Consents Unit in Jan. 2021, it voiced its opposition to the plans.
Among other things, the letter expressed unease about the facility’s potential effect on the golden eagle, a bird of prey protected under the U.K.’s Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981.
“We have significant concerns about the impact that this proposal will have on golden eagle through collision risk, habitat loss, the potential for complete abandonment of a territory and impact on roost sites,” the organization’s letter said.
“Furthermore, we believe that the assessment of such impacts through both construction and operation is incomplete, and as such we object to this application,” it added. “We also have concerns regarding osprey and black grouse.”
Balancing act
The decision to reduce the size of the Scoop Hill project represents the latest example of how concerns about the interaction between wind farms and the natural world can create hurdles for companies looking to build out renewable energy projects.
In Dec. 2022, for example, plans for a major new wind farm in Australia were given the thumbs up on the proviso its turbines went offline for five months a year to protect a parrot species.
Brussels-based industry body WindEurope says the effects of projects can be prevented “by adequately planning, siting, and designing wind farms.”
“The impact of wind farms on birds and bats is extremely low compared to the impact of climate change and other human activity,” it adds.
In a statement sent to CNBC, a spokesperson for RSPB Scotland said it hadn’t had “any direct communication with Community Windpower about golden eagles, only through submitting our response to the windfarm application in January 2021.”
“The Applicant did get in touch in November 2022 to provide an update that further work had been undertaken including proposed changes to the wind farm’s design and layout,” they added.
“However, further information on the details was not provided at that time, so we have not been able to fully consider the changes yet.”
“We understand that full details have not been published of the revised proposals so we do not yet know whether this revision might address our concerns,” the spokesperson went on to state. “We will consider the amended proposal carefully, particularly in relation to golden eagles.”
The spokesperson added that while RSPB Scotland supported renewable energy generation, wind farms “must be carefully sited and designed to avoid unacceptable impacts on species of highest conservation concern.”
“There is some research which suggests that golden eagles will avoid areas where wind farms have been constructed, so they are then displaced from the area,” they added.
The organization was aware of at least three collisions involving golden eagles and wind farms located in Scotland but noted there was “no systematic recording of collisions, so this number could be higher for golden eagles and other species.”
“A key concern in relation to Scoop Hill is likely loss of the available land that golden eagles would have access to where they can forage and find food, which could result in the existing territory being abandoned,” the spokesperson said.
Community Wind Power did not respond to CNBC’s request for comment on the RSPB’s remarks ahead of this story’s publication.
Can Kia’s first electric sedan live up to the hype? After launching the EV4 in Korea, we are finally seeing it in action. A new test drive of the EV4 gives us a closer look at what to expect as Kia prepares to take it global. Here’s how it went down.
Kia EV4 test drive: The good, the bad, and the ugly
Kia claims the EV4 will “set a new standard in electric vehicles” with long-range capabilities, fast charging, and a sleek new design.
The electric sedan features a unique, almost sports-car-like profile with a long-tail silhouette and added roof spoiler.
Kia claims it is “the new look of a sedan fit for the era of electrification.” Despite its four-door design, the company is calling it a new type of sedan.
The design is not only eye-catching, but it’s also super efficient. With a drag coefficient of just 0.23, the EV4 is Kia’s most aerodynamic vehicle so far, enabling maximum driving range and efficiency.
Kia opened EV4 orders in South Korea in March, starting at about $29,000 (41.92 million won). It’s available with two battery options: 58.2 kWh and 81.4 kWh. The entry-level “Standard Air” model, powered by the 58.2 kWh battery, is rated with up to 237 miles of driving range.
The “Long-Range Air” variant starts at 46.29 million won ($31,800) and has a driving range of up to 331 miles (533 km) in Korea.
With charging speeds of up to 350 kW, the EV4 can charge from 10% to 80% in around 29 minutes. The long-range battery will take about 31 minutes.
The interior boasts Kia’s latest ccNC infotainment system with a 30″ Ultra-wide Panoramic Display. The setup includes dual 12.3″ driver displays, navigation screens, and a 5″ air conditioning panel.
With deliveries kicking off, we are seeing some of the first test drives come out. A review from HealerTV gives us a better idea of what it’s like to drive the EV4 in person.
Sitting next to Kia’s first pickup, the Tasman, the reviewer mentions the EV4 feels “particularly newer.” The test drive starts around the city with a ride quality similar to that of the K5, if not even better.
As you can see from the camera shaking, the ride feels “a bit uncomfortable” on rough roads. However, on normal surfaces and speed bumps, Kia’s electric sedan “feels neither too soft nor too hard,” just normal. The reviewer calls the EV4’s overall ride quality “quite ordinary” with “nothing particularly special about it.”
When accelerating, the electric car was smooth in the beginning but felt “a little lacking in later stages.” Overall, it should be enough for everyday use.
One of the biggest issues was that the rear window appeared too low. The rear brake lights also stick out, making it hard to see clearly through the rearview.
Keep in mind that the test drive was the Korean-spec EV4. Kia will launch the EV4 in Europe later this year and in the US in early 2026.
In the US, the EV4 will include a built-in NACS port for charging at Tesla Superchargers and a driving range of up to 330 (EPA-est) miles. Prices will be revealed closer to launch, but the EV4 is expected to start at around $35,000 to $40,000.
Would you buy Kia’s electric sedan for around $35,000? Or would you rather have the Tesla Model 3, which starts at $42,490 in the US and has up to 363 miles of range? Let us know in the comments.
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In the Electrek Podcast, we discuss the most popular news in the world of sustainable transport and energy. In this week’s episode, we discuss Tesla Model Y RWD in the US, Cybertruck bait-and-switch, Rivian earnings, and more.
The show is live every Friday at 4 p.m. ET on Electrek’s YouTube channel.
As a reminder, we’ll have an accompanying post, like this one, on the site with an embedded link to the live stream. Head to the YouTube channel to get your questions and comments in.
After the show ends at around 5 p.m. ET, the video will be archived on YouTube and the audio on all your favorite podcast apps:
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Hyundai’s 2026 IONIQ 9 EV is launching with a lease deal, affordable rates, and a big rebate, making the automaker’s largest EV a competitive choice.
Leasing a 2026 Hyundai IONIQ 9
CarsDirect reports that, according to a bulletin sent to dealers, the 2026 Hyundai IONIQ 9 S is $419 for 36 months with $4,999 due at signing based on 10,000 miles a year. That makes the effective cost of the nationally available lease $558 monthly.
That’s slightly more expensive than the Model Y Long Range Rear-Wheel Drive, which debuted this week. It can be leased for $399 with $4,093 at signing or $513 per month. That’s a price difference of only $45 per month, potentially making the IONIQ 9 a better value, since Hyundai’s first three-row electric SUV gives you more car for the money.
The IONIQ 9 offers 335 miles of driving range, fast charging capabilities, room for seven, and prices start at $60,555.
Financing and incentives
Hyundai isn’t offering rebates on the IONIQ 9, but good news – it qualifies for the $7,500 federal EV tax credit because it’s manufactured in Georgia.
The IONIQ 9 has national financing rates as low as 1.99% APR for up to 60 months. For a lower monthly payment, there’s a 72-month option at 2.99%. Compare that to the most affordable 2026 Tesla Model Y, which has a 72-month option at 5.49% APR, and it shows what a good deal it is.
There’s also a $5,000 financing incentive available, but you have to choose a loan at a higher interest rate to get it. The $5,000 Dealer Choice Bonus helps lower prices if you finance at 5.99% for 60 months and 6.59% for 72 months.
However, it’s cheaper to opt for the 1.99% APR deal instead of the Dealer Choice Bonus and higher interest rate; CarsDirect found that the 1.99% APR could save IONIQ 9 buyers up to $2,200:
On a 5-year loan at 1.99%, we estimate the IONIQ 9 would cost $63,084. With the APR and rebate combo, it would cost $63,783. Here, opting for the lower rate would save buyers roughly $700. But that’s not the whole story. That’s because Dealer Choice offers, available on many Hyundais, allow a mark-up of up to 1%.
As a result, the $5,000 rebate and higher rate of 6.99% could cost buyers over $2,200 more than simply taking the lower rate to begin with.
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