Committed to empowering our clients and communities
A total transformation of the energy sector is needed to mitigate the worst impacts of climate change and meet our global climate targets.
We are committed to empowering our clients to play a meaningful role in the clean energy transition while ensuring that communities impacted by this transition have a seat at the table.
We believe that the development of clean energy projects must be a collaborative partnership between companies and communities – one built on transparency and equity.
Your challenges and risks
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Community opposition, leading to project delays, significant financial loss, and jeopardy to funding
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Conflict with key stakeholders
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Rampant disinformation about your project
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Overworked engagement teams
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Missed opportunities for community benefits such as job creation, revenue streams, a more resilient grid, and cleaner air and water
The risks are growing
​The examples are numerous, including:
A recent report from Columbia University’s Sabin Center for Climate Change Law finds that local and state opposition to renewable energy projects has significantly increased in the last year (2023).
Gov. Kathy Hochul vetoed a bill allowing Empire Wind 2’s project developer Equinor to lay transmission cables underneath parkland. She reasoned, “it is incumbent on … developers to cultivate and maintain strong ties to their host communities throughout the planning, siting, and operation of all large-scale projects.”
According to a Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory survey of industry professionals who helped develop about half of all large U.S. renewable projects between 2016 and 2023, community opposition and local ordinances are among the top reasons for delays and cancellations of wind and solar projects.
• Researchers found that once renewable energy projects are initially blocked by local opposition, just 13 percent of them are ever completed.
• “Project cancelations result in average sunk costs (expenses spent on the project that could not be recovered) of more than $2 million per project for solar, and $7.5 million for wind.
According to the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), involving local communities in the project development process “early, often, and authentically” is crucial to project success, as well as ensuring the benefits from these projects - economic and environmental - flow to the local communities that host them.
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Tailored solutions
We work with partners to provide strategic community engagement services that support efficient project development while building lasting local partnerships. Our approach aligns with formal permitting processes while proactively addressing community interests to minimize development risks.
Core services:
Pre-development planning
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Strategic stakeholder mapping and sentiment analysis
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Early engagement with local officials and key decision-makers
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Site selection support through community feasibility assessment
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Identification of potential challenges and opportunities
Formal public involvement
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Public meeting coordination and facilitation
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Documentation for permitting and NEPA requirements
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Specialized tribal consultation support
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Strategic communications during comment periods
Community partnership development
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Custom benefit agreement planning and implementation
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Local workforce development initiatives
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Tax revenue and economic impact communication
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Educational outreach programs
Ongoing relationship management
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Regular stakeholder updates and engagement
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Issue monitoring and rapid response protocols
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Community advisory board development
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Local partnership maintenance
Let us develop a strategic engagement plan that supports your project goals while strengthening local partnerships.
Our solutions span diverse technologies:
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Solar
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Battery storage
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Onshore and offshore wind
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Hydropower
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Green hydrogen
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EV infrastructure
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Clean energy manufacturing
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Transmission
Our targeted strategies​:
As community engagement specialists, we will expertly navigate community and stakeholder relationship-building by leveraging comprehensive and impactful strategies. These include:
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Pre-development engagement of decisionmakers including local officials, landowners, and other key stakeholders to gauge level of support and to aid in site determination
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Pre-development community outreach to help determine level of support, identify challenges, and explore opportunities
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Early and consistent engagement with host communities and respectful and fair treatment of those communities
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Overcoming disinformation through strategic communications campaigns
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Centering near and long-term benefits to communities.
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