Communicating to External Markets
Healthcare | Human Services | Renewable Energy

Renewable Energy

Virtually all economic growth in the United States is tied to the availability of electrical energy. And the need for reliable power will continue to grow over the coming decades.

The real problem is that power-generating plants that rely on burning fossil fuels (coal, gas and oil) produce a significant percentage of the nation’s most toxic industrial air emissions. Coal-fired plants are the dirtiest, producing 82% of the power industry’s pollution while generating only 51% of the electricity.

But effective new means of generating power, using processes that are clean and renewable and that do not rely on imported fuels, are now among the fastest-growing sources of reliable electrical energy in the world -- processes like solar, hydroelectric, tidal wave technology, and especially wind. By 2020, it is estimated that wind energy will supply the energy needs of nearly 25 million American homes – and with none of the toxic air pollution associated with traditional generation. That's a legacy I choose to be a part of.

Wind Project Experience

Sam Bittman develops communication strategies and outreach campaigns for wind projects in the northeast. The goal of his strategic communication plans is to build and maintain local and regional support that can successfully carry projects through to permitting. Mr. Bittman has carefully studied the organizing and attack strategies of groups opposed to wind energy development. His knowledge of the wind project development process and general permitting procedures offers clients the pragmatic wherewithal to predict and counter opposition tactics through a unified and consistent communication platform.

Building Support for Wind Projects

Beyond the tremendous development opportunities created by state Renewable Portfolio Standards and the federal Production Tax Credit, wind developers need all the local support they can muster to secure key permits and get their projects built. Opposition groups, actively networking over distance, are organizing around a premise that wind developers will say and do anything to permit their projects; they’ll promise ‘environmentally responsible’ development but will take irresponsible shortcuts to save money and reap obscene profits; and long after they’re gone, it’s the locals who will be left holding the bag. Unfortunately, the general reputation for developers frequently doesn’t help the situation.

The Art of Connecting to People

Credibility is the antidote to local suspicion and the foundation for future support. Developers know that a project can be made or doomed at a first meeting, so earning credibility means establishing a mutuality of need and reward from the outset – a ‘cards-on-the-table’ approach that promises:

• What you see and what you hear from us is what you get;
• We will promise only what we can deliver;
• We will never bully you into anything;
• ‘Late changes’ will never take you by surprise.

Thereafter, delivering a unified and consistent message to all key constituents -- from local officials, citizen groups and the media, to environmental and planning organizations and key state office-holders -- is what builds alliances, sustains credibility and deepens public support.

It Works

Over the course of Mr. Bittman’s experience with wind projects in the northeast and many years of successful public outreach, he has refined strategies for cultivating local relationships through coordinated conversations with often disparate -- but always vital -- audiences. From pre-development through permitting, this process builds coalitions and creates local champions who feel comfortable voicing their support for a responsibly-developed wind project. And it is a process that saves precious time and resources.

For more information about Sam Bittman’s work, please visit the website:
www.sambittman.com

Contact Information

Sam Bittman
45 Walker Street, Lenox, MA 01240
413.637.0933
sam.bittman@verizon.net

Contact Sam Bittman to discuss progressive community involvement and acceptance strategies for your project.