Best Practices in Public Outreach

As states evaluate how to add load growth associated with new data centers, engagement with stakeholders and education is vital. The same goes for other emerging technologies that utilities are required to educate the public on. As companies grapple with interconnection costs, site development, stakeholder communication and education, best practices are in order. Learn how strategic campaigns and company-wide protocols and practices can provide a state-of-the-art model for buy-in and acceptance in communities.

This session will focus on how we partner with trusted community-based organizations, faith-based organizations, and local stakeholders to support customer education, strengthen relationships, and create opportunities for meaningful dialogue. We will also share lessons learned, our journey toward meaningful engagement and impact, and leave you with ideas for incorporating practical principles into your outreach and engagement strategies.

This presentation will showcase how communications teams collaborate to build strong internal and external relationships that support business success. Attendees will discover how strategic engagement and proactive, transparent communication drive responsible capital investment, system reliability, and affordability, while also strengthening customer satisfaction and fostering a constructive regulatory environment. The session will further illustrate how amplifying brand narratives through hyperlocal storytelling fosters deeper connections, improves brand trust, and strengthens alignment with stakeholders at every level. Real-world examples will demonstrate how intentional partnerships and effective communication create shared value and reduce risk across stakeholder groups.

The media are a key component to moving the needed-on energy understanding and adoption of projects state to state. Each region, county, town, village comes with its own intricacies and complexities and the media that follow those issues. How do you engage reporters to educate, inform and achieve buy-in in the community? Is the Op-Ed the holy grail? What other tools are best practice in reaching key audiences? How does social media and….AI fit into today’s communications mix? Learn about best practices in stakeholder communications from industry leads sharing successful case studies.

Reliability vs. Affordability? How about both. This presentation will look at supporting customer value and affordability through a focus on large load energy users and how they can help reduce customer rates. We’ll discuss the importance of pro-active, early and ongoing engagement with local government officials and community leaders to keep them apprised of project routing and siting while ensuring infrastructure and future economic development plans don’t conflict.

Explore how communication—both verbal and digital—shapes public perception and consumer behavior. Through a national partnership with Veloz, the New York Power Authority’s EVolve NY EV charging infrastructure program and NYSERDA’s electric vehicle adoption and incentive programs are changing the language about EVs and their value to modern-day consumers. Research revealed it wasn’t the “good for the environment” messages that were resonating; it was the “I won’t have to perform maintenance on my car for a year and I’ll save money for my family,” message that caught on. Learn how Veloz, EVolve NY, and NYSERDA updated their approach. This presentation also will highlight how technology impacts how audiences receive information and showcase how organizations must adapt their outreach strategies to meet people where they are: online, on mobile devices, and within fast‑moving social channels.