Best Practices in Public Participation for Western Energy Projects

February 4-5, 2020 | San Diego, CA ::

0220-public-participation

Energy infrastructure projects can be characterized by high perceived risk and low stakeholder trust.  A balance must be struck between the need for additional energy development and landowner priorities, environmental impact considerations and regulatory compliance.

A comprehensive strategic public engagement process is a key tenet to the success of any energy project.  Whether it be electric or gas transmission, a renewable project, or an emergency situation, all stakeholders must be engaged throughout the process, using a wide variety of communication and engagement techniques that are tailored to the needs of each stakeholder.  But how do you tackle this daunting challenge?

As an attendee of this EUCI conference, you’ll hear the results and lessons learned from leading electric professionals with a highlight on the challenges facing western based energy providers.  You’ll learn the strategies and methods they use to positively engage stakeholders, build trust with the community, and overcome project obstacles.  You’ll leave this conference with practical tools and techniques that can be immediately implemented within your own organization to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of your public participation program.

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Learning Outcomes

• Determine the strategies for developing a crisis communications response plan
• Discover the public participation involved in building a wildfire mitigation plan
• Review the public challenges that come with extensive expansion of your system
• List the process for successful engagement for projects on Federal land
• Discuss the steps involved in a good communication strategy for landowners and customers
• Engage in a discussion on successfully engaging stakeholders for projects
• Expand on an analysis of how to respond to exaggerated or false claims and how to manage project opposition
• Engage in this discussion on how utilities are evolving to succeed in a 24-hours news cycle
• Review public engagement/outreach techniques for solar projects

Credits

EUCI is accredited by the International Accreditors for Continuing Education and Training (IACET) and offers IACET CEUs for its learning events that comply with the ANSI/IACET Continuing Education and Training Standard. IACET is recognized internationally as a standard development organization and accrediting body that promotes quality of continuing education and training.

EUCI is authorized by IACET to offer 0.9 CEUs for this event.

 

Instructional Methods

Case studies, PowerPoint presentations and group discussion will be used in this event.

Requirements for Successful Completion of Program

Participants must sign in/out each day and be in attendance for the entirety of the course to be eligible for continuing education credit.

Tuesday, February 4, 2020

8:00 – 8:30 a.m. :: Registration and Continental Breakfast

8:30 – 8:40 a.m. :: Introductions  

8:40 – 9:30 a.m. :: Managing High-Stakes Issues & Crises

An interactive guide for how you and your organization can develop principles navigating a crisis effectively. In this discussion, you’ll learn strategies for developing a crisis communications response plan that keeps your stakeholders informed and engaged, while protecting your brand. You’ll also learn what pitfalls to avoid and how to best prepare so that issues don’t develop into major crises.

Heather Wilson, Managing Director, Head of the California Office, SKDKnickerbocker

9:30 – 10:15 a.m. :: Preparing for the New Norm: Wildfire Mitigation Planning from One Public Utility’s Perspective

New legislation adopted following the disastrous 2017-2018 California wildfires require every publicly owned electric utility in California to prepare a wildfire mitigation plan (WMP), present it at a noticed public meeting and accept stakeholder input. In addition, the utility is to contract with a qualified independent evaluator experienced in assessing the safe operation of electrical infrastructure to review and assess the comprehensiveness of the utility’s WMP.  Hear how the Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD) engaged in an organization wide enterprise risk approach to meet legislative mandates and SMUD’s commitment to delivering safe, reliable, sustainable and affordable energy.

Toni Hoang, CRMP, Esq., Enterprise Risk Manager, Sacramento Municipal Utility District

10:15 – 10:45 a.m. :: Networking Break

10:45 – 11:45 a.m. :: Continued Growth in Arizona Public Service’s Area and Stakeholder Participation

APS is in various stages of the planning, engineering and construction required to build new grid infrastructure to adapt to the growing city.  Learn how APS is working with property owners, residents, business owners, community stakeholders and governmental jurisdictions to blend engineering requirements with downtown codes, transit overlay districts and the neighborhood character.

Kendra Lee, Community Franchise and Outreach Consultant, Arizona Public Service

11:45 a.m. – 12:45 p.m. :: Group Luncheon

12:45 – 1:45 p.m. :: Wind – Communicating the Benefits

Although wind projects have many positive environmental and economic benefits, we still face tough questions when presenting them to the public. Learn about communications outreach tools used for wind projects in the Midwest and some tips for gaining support.

Sarah Gedrose – Senior Communications and Public Affairs Representative, Xcel Energy

1:45 – 2:30 p.m. :: Collect, Track, Measure, Report, Adjust

A good communication strategy is a two-way street, providing landowners and customers engagement opportunities to provide input, feedback and ask questions. From project comment cards and landowners lists to customer email engagement and ad clicks, your campaign is flush with data filtering in from different sources in different metrics. A successful strategy to collect, track, measure and report will inform a comprehensive strategy that incorporates online and offline behaviors and actions, equipping you with data to tailor messaging, shift tactics or avoid potentially volatile situations. 

Abby Foster, Public Affairs Director, Bravo Group

2:30 – 3:00 p.m. :: Networking Break

3:00 – 4:30 p.m. :: The Challenges of Successful Public Participation Discussion

This interactive discussion will explore the challenges owners face with engaging stakeholders for projects and will review successful procedures and methods.                              

Toni Hoang, CRMP, Esq., Enterprise Risk Manager, SMUD

Todd Voorhees, Regional Public Affairs Manager, Portfolio and Project Management, San Diego Gas & Electric

Michael Huynh, Senior Advisor, Government Relations, Local Public Affairs, Southern California Edison

Wednesday, February 5, 2020

8:00 – 8:30 a.m. :: Continental Breakfast

8:30 – 9:30 a.m. :: Successful Management of Project Opposition

Emotional challenges to a project can cause project sponsors to respond with facts, but those facts are often drowned out if the parties are unwilling to compromise. In this presentation, we will have an in-depth analysis of how to respond to exaggerated or false claims and how to manage project opposition explained with real-life case study/scenarios.

Michael Huynh, Senior Advisor, Government Relations – Local Public Affairs, Southern California Edison

9:30 – 10:30 a.m. :: Discussion on Controlled Messaging in a 24-hour News Cycle

The media landscape has changed. Local reporting is being replaced by large media groups prioritizing content quantity and story clicks. This shift has put the company in a constant state of reaction, working to provide perspective and facts on short deadlines and through follow-up story corrections. Using digital newsrooms, media-ready content, reporter engagement tracking and strategic advertising, this session will cover ways utilities are not only keeping up with this new, fast-paced journalism, but evolving to benefit from it.

Helen Gao, Senior Communications Manager, San Diego Gas & Electric

Abby Foster, Public Affairs Director, Bravo Group

10:30 – 11:00 a.m. :: Networking Break

11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. :: Public Engagement/Outreach for Solar Projects

This presentation will address public engagement/outreach techniques for renewable energy projects and share some lessons learned from Tampa Electric’s construction of multiple solar projects in the 74.5 MW range.

1. During Land Development
2. During Permitting 
3. During Construction 
4. Post Construction 

Arlee Jones PgMP®, EVMP®, Project Manager II – ED Project Management, Tampa Electric

12:00 p.m. :: Conference Adjourns

• Abby Foster, Public Affairs Director, Bravo Group
• Helen Gao, Senior Communications Manager, San Diego Gas & Electric
• Sarah Gedrose – Senior Communications and Public Affairs Representative, Xcel Energy
• Michael Huynh, Senior Advisor, Government Relations – Local Public Affairs, Southern California Edison
• Toni Hoang, CRMP, Esq., Enterprise Risk Manager, SMUD
• Arlee Jones PgMP®, EVMP®, Project Manager II – ED Project Management, Tampa Electric
• Kendra Lee, Community Franchise and Outreach Consultant, Arizona Public Service
• Todd Voorhees, Regional Public Affairs Manager, Portfolio and Project Management, San Diego Gas & Electric
• Heather Wilson, Managing Director, Head of the California Office, SKDKnickerbocker

REGISTER NOW FOR THIS EVENT:

Best Practices in Public Participation for Western Energy Projects

February 4-5, 2020 | San Diego, CA

Buy 4 in-person seats and only pay for 3! For this event every fourth in-person attendee is free!

Your registration may be transferred to a member of your organization up to 24 hours in advance of the event. Cancellations must be received on or before January 03, 2020 in order to be refunded and will be subject to a US $195.00 processing fee per registrant. No refunds will be made after this date. Cancellations received after this date will create a credit of the tuition (less processing fee) good toward any other EUCI event. This credit will be good for six months from the cancellation date. In the event of non-attendance, all registration fees will be forfeited. In case of conference cancellation, EUCIs liability is limited to refund of the event registration fee only. For more information regarding administrative policies, such as complaints and refunds, please contact our offices at 303-770-8800