DC’s Climate Change: Renewables Adapting to Shifting Political Weather

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... Over at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, new lab director Martin Keller told the Colorado Solar Energy Industries Association that “renewable energy needs a new story to tell.” The Denver Business Journal’s Cathy Proctor reported Keller’s remark that ““We push the story toward the climate change element, which is an important element, but is there a new way to tell our story?” “Solar on rooftops gives you independence, it saves money for our citizens, it’s important to highlight the jobs that we’re creating.”

A cynic might observe that Keller is restating the “traditional song of the three Es of renewables” — energy security, emissions and employment, and simply advocating that we sing louder during the verses on energy security and employment than we sing the verses on emissions — and that the “song of the Three Es” is a song that never ends. But a less doubting Thomas might see that Keller is in fact suggesting, hesitantly, an answer but far more importantly is asking the question and challenging industry to come up with a new narrative.

“We need to take back control of the story of our industry and not let it be told by our detractors,” Skor (Growth Energy CEO Emily Skor) told The Digest this week. “We have a good story on our side, but one thing I learned doing consumer campaigns for health care is that we have to start by knowing who you are talking to. In a small town in Illinois, they already understand the impact of renewable fuels on their community, but talking to a millennial in San Francisco, we have a different task, and we better start by finding out what their concerns are, and talk with them in terms of those.”

“These are two of the groups that are most likely to buy higher ethanol blends,” Skor explained. “A mother is motivated when she thinks about toxic additives and cleaner air, while a millennial is going to be more motivated by thinking about greenhouse gas emissions. Both of them are busy in their day, but here is a simple gesture you can make for the environment, to choose a higher ethanol blend at the pump, even if you are not one of those people who can devote a tremendous amount of time to an environmental cause.”

“We need to reintroduce this American success story that is good for the pocketbook and good for the air, and provides a 43 percent reduction in carbon emissions every time you use it. We have to recognize that it is not about starting a conversation, there are conversations happening all the time in social media, and we need to become a part of that conversation.”

"... . We need to work hard on our message with all the new leaders in Washington, but it will go a lot better if we are also seeing a strong shift from the constituents who elect them. So it’s not a case of one thing or the other.”

We asked, why hasn’t the industry wanted to make renewables more “cool” to attract more consumer support?

“When we talk about the new story, everyone gets engaged and is supportive,” Skor said. “It has been more a case in the past that the consumer has not been their direct customer, and they haven’t had the direct engagement to learn how to connect with consumers. So, they haven’t known much about how to get it done, that’s the job we do at Growth Energy.” READ MORE