After working in the renewables space long enough to remember (and celebrate) getting megawatts or single-digit gigawatts online, it’s satisfying and comforting to see that the tenants we’ve developed for renewable comms strategy remain crucial to helping our clients succeed. We’re now celebrating double-digit gigawatt achievements supported by smart, multi-faceted programs that build strong, ongoing, and attentive relationships with a wide variety of stakeholders.
The future shines bright on this industry, with the IEA reporting that “the amount of electricity generated by renewables worldwide in 2025 is forecast to eclipse the amount generated by coal for the first time.” Our job as communicators is to help continue to build on this momentum, pushing toward resilient, sustainable power. Read on for our tried-and-true strategies that we know are helping to get those gigawatts on the grid.
5 Elements of a Successful Renewable Energy Comms Strategy
To survive and thrive in this mercurial environment, consider these five areas when planning your communications strategy:
1. National
Legislation of energy policy in the U.S. is always volatile — which is not a concept financial markets willingly embrace. Public relations efforts on the national front must include a level of policy understanding both as it pertains to financing, constructing, and permitting projects as well as a willingness to take a vocal position, be it as an educational resource to media, via owned content on one’s own website, or in an effort to lobby influencers in D.C.
2. Global
Too many companies prioritize local and national efforts in their communications strategies and ignore the bigger picture. Yes, renewable energy is smart for the economy in that it creates new jobs and can increase our energy security through a lower dependence on foreign oil. But here’s the deal: climate change and the threat posed to the environment are scientific facts. And renewable energy has a significant role to play in how we tackle the challenges this very real problem brings. It doesn’t have to be the biggest part of your story, but how your brand positively affects global society is a valid part of your story and should be shared.
3. Local and Regional
Even though the industry continues to grow, utility-scale renewable energy projects are still relatively new in some areas of the country. A “what’s in it for me” attitude can be prevalent in local communities. Communications programs should always include a transparent strategy that taps into the local mindset to underscore the value you promise to bring, via community participation (events, schools, meetings) as well as regional media relations.
4. Crisis
Renewable energy communicators must be prepared for crisis. What constitutes a crisis? Lawsuits, fires, tornadoes, loss of life, construction and technology failures, permitting issues, NIMBYs, protected ground issues, wildlife endangerment concerns, noise, legislative changes…the list goes on. And while knowing what you might say and to which media outlet is great, what we’ve found is that the holes in the plan lie in who didn’t get the word. That may be the local community, policy and lawmakers, or even your own team members. Where are the holes in your plan?
5. Brand
Communicating that yours is a trustworthy brand is paramount in this space. Don’t overlook how critical it is that for people to listen to you, they must trust you. Trust is built in a multitude of ways, but consistency in communication is key. While in-person touches (events, meetings, opening of your doors) were a hallmark of relationship-building in this industry for many years, COVID-era online webinars and video calls are now also the norm and go a long way to create the sense of community renewable energy brands need to build trust.
Solving Your Communications Challenges
All companies, large and small, in the renewable energy industry run into the same challenges communicating their value to investors, community partners, environmentalists, naysayers, legislators, and consumers. For the last decade, INK has worked to mitigate these communication challenges and tell the renewable energy story. We are passionate in our belief that the world is a better place with renewable energy in it, and we work with massive enterprises and brand new start-ups, in wind, solar, biofuels, hydrogen, and storage, to help ensure they continue to make a difference.
