OCCUPATION OF PROTECTED AREAS

Itemised by facility and types of space

The areas where Iberdrola operates are also home to numerous wild animals and plants, some of which are officially protected.

Knowing in which protected areas and places rich in biodiversity the group operates is key to correct managements of its activities, analysing their potential impact to adopt mitigation measures or implement restoration and conservation projects.

Iberdrola's commitment to the protection and conservation of these areas follows the principles set out in its Biodiversity Policy, through its environmental management systems, action plans and monitoring of habitats restored and/or compensated following the positive conservation management principle.

SPAIN

The presence of reservoirs in protected spaces is 63% of the total space occupied by reservoirs. Within biosphere reserves, national parks, Ramsar wetlands and natural parks, these reservoirs take up 1.15% of the surface area of these protected areas.

The Cofrentes Nuclear Plant is located within the Natura 2000 Network. The protected areas are the SCI: Muela de Cortés and the Caroig, and the SPA: Sierra de Martés - Muela de Cortés.

In the case of wind farms, only 7% of our wind farms are in protected nature areas, mainly in the Natura 2000 Network occupying just 0.000016% of the Network total.

List of facilities and location in relation to protected areas or areas of high biodiversity value [PDF]

Reservoirs in protected spaces [PDF]

UNITED KINGDOM

ScottishPower does not have onshore wind farms in protected areas.

ScottishPower Renewables operates some of its 23 wind farms on the fens; a habitat included in the United Kingdom Biodiversity Action Plan for priority species and in Annex 1 of the European Union habitats directive.

The Lynemouth wind farm in England is also in an area with rich biodiversity, due to its importance as a winter haven for swans and geese.

In Ireland, the Barnesmore wind farm is on the Barnesmore Bog Natural Heritage Site (CNS).

ScottishPower Renewables has committed to restoring more than 8,000 ha of fens in all wind farms, by implementing Habitat Management Plans (HMP). Approximately 580 ha of native forest (a habitat included in the United Kingdom Biodiversity Action Plan for priority species) is already being established at 17 farms.

The East Anglia ONE offshore wind farm is in a special South North Sea Special Conservation Area (SNS SAC). Approximately 200 km2 of the East Anglia One project lie within the southern part of the SNS SAC (winter component) designated to protect porpoises, which accounts for 0.5% of the total area designated for the SNS SAC. The area was formally designated in 2019 after the construction of East Anglia ONE began in 2018. The export cable corridor, the East Anglia ONE Offshore Wind Farm, crosses the Outer Thames Estuary Special Protected Area (SPA) which supports a winter population of red throat divers, which is sensitive to disturbance and displacement from the boat. The export cable corridor crosses the Bawdsey Cliffs SSSI, which is of great geological interest and has potential for studies of Pleistocene non-glacial environments. The SSSI is by far the largest site for Red Crag and is rich in marine molluscs.

List of facilities and location in relation to protected areas [PDF]

USA

Only one of the 64 onshore wind farms (2%) is located within a protected area with high biodiversity. This is the Deerfield Wind Project, which covers approximately 32 hectares within the Green Mountain National Forest in Bennington County, Vermont. Deerfield was the first wind project to be authorised and built on National Forest land. The main authorising agency is the National Forest Service.

A total of 404 km of transmission lines (3%) and 15 substations lie within protected areas with high biodiversity. These areas include New York State's Adirondack Park and Forest Reserve, New York State's Catskill Park and Forest Reserve, Letchwork Park, the United Nations' Champlain-Adirondack Biosphere Reserve, and Connecticut West Rock State Park.

Avangrid Networks also operates and maintains nine hydroelectric projects, two of which are located within New York State's Adirondack Park.

List of facilities and their locations in relation to protected nature areas or areas of high biodiversity value
Facility	Location with respect to the protected area	Affected Surface/Length	Degree of protection⁽¹⁾
Spain
Reservoirs	Inside, or partialy inside	30,759 ha	Biosphere reserves, Ramsar Wetlands, Natura 2000 network, national parks and Nature Parks
Power lines	Inside	18,777 km	Natura 2000 network, Ramsar Wetlands, National Park, Nature Park, Biosphere Reserves
Substations	Inside	135 installations	Natura 2000 network, Ramsar Wetlands, National Park, Nature Park, Biosphere Reserves
Transformer stations	Inside	8,654 stations	Natura 2000 network, Ramsar Wetlands, National Park, Nature Park, Biosphere Reserves
Wind farms	Inside	343 ha	Natura 2000 network, nature areas and important areas for birds and diversity
Nuclear power plants	Inside	115 ha (1 plant)	Natura 2000 network
Nuclear power plants	Adjacent	3 plants	Natura 2000 network
Thermal power plants⁽²⁾	Adjacent	12 plants	Natura 2000 network, protected landscapes, biosphere reserves and protected marine areas

United Kingdom
Power lines	Inside	3,815 km	NSA, SPA, SAC, Ramsar, NNR, SSSI
Substations	Inside	414 units	NSA, SPA, SAC, Ramsar, NNR, SSSI
Transformer stations	Inside	8,881 units	NSA, SPA, SAC, Ramsar, NNR, SSSI
Offshore wind farms	Inside	36,700 ha	Natura 2000 network and SAC, SSSI
Onshore wind farms	Partially inside	9,035 ha	SSSI

United States
Wind farms	Inside or near	32	National Forest Systems
Power lines	Partially inside	404 km	Protected areas designated by each federal state, which may be Biosphere Reserves, forests, national parks, national fauna refuges and those which are not covered by such protection but nevertheless have high ecological value
Substations	Inside	15	Protected areas designated by each federal state, which may be Biosphere Reserves, forests, national parks, national fauna refuges and those which are not covered by such protection but nevertheless have high ecological value
Hydraulic Power Stations		2	Protected areas designated by the State of New York like the Adirondack Park

Brazil
Power lines	Inside	27,199 Km	Areas of environmental protection
Substations	Inside	96 installations	Areas of environmental protection
Transformer stations	Inside	4,388 stations	Areas of environmental protection
Hydroelectric power plants	Adjacent		Private Natural Park Reserve (RPPN), Biosphere Reserve declared by UNESCO, important areas for birdlife and biodiversity (IBA), High biodiversity Wild areas (HBWA), Wildlife Refuge (Revis), Sustainable Development Reserve (SDR)

Mexico
Generation plant	Adjacent	1 Production centre	Areas of environmental protection
Wind farms	Adjacent	1 wind farm	Regional Ecological Park

Greece
Wind farms and photovoltaic plants	Partially inside	129 ha	Natura 2000 network

Hungary
Wind farms	Near	6 wind farms	Close to areas of the Natura 2000 network, one included within a National Park

Portugal
Wind farms	Inside or near	0.12 wind farm	Natura 2000 network area, and a National Park

Romania
Wind farms	Adjacent	1 wind farm	Natura 2000 network
Germany
Marine wind farms	Adjacent	1 wind farm	Special Protection Marine Area

⁽¹⁾ Designations of the main protected areas:

SPA: Special Protection Area for Birds, according to the EC Birds Directive.

SCI: Site of Community Importance, according to the EC Habitats Directive.

SAC: Special Area of Conservation, according to the EC Habitats Directive.

Ramsar: Wetlands of international importance, according to the Convention signed in Ramsar.

SSSI: Site of special scientific interest (UK designation).

NSA: National scenic areas (UK).

NNR: National nature reserve (UK).

⁽²⁾ Combined cycle, cogeneration, and coal-fired plants.

Iberdrola identifies endangered species included in the UICN Red List and the national and regional lists for the areas in which it operates through its environmental management systems and/or observation programs.