For example, the Palm Beach County Commission rejected a biofuel proposal in Delray Beach in 2011 despite the promise of no foul odors or dangerous chemicals to the area. Another project in Wright, Kansas has been delayed since 2006 due to strong opposition from the local community members.
Projects like these are either stalled or completely cancelled throughout the United States, yet, according to a report by Lux Research published in January 2013, biofuel demand is going to triple by 2030. If demand for biofuel keeps on growing, why are people opposing such projects that can bring massive economic growth to their communities?
Companies need to look at their strategy of building public support to counter the NIMBY effect to projects, as the outcome for a smooth entitlement of your project is at risk.
US Chamber of Commerce stated that in 2011 over 350 energy projects were delayed or abandoned due to public opposition – and the economic impact of these projects were estimated at about $1.1 trillion in GDP and 1.9 million jobs a year. That is a lot of missed opportunity for jobs and clean energy, all due to public opposition.
Having been in the business of running public affairs campaigns to build public support for controversial projects for nearly twenty years, I can tell you that the key piece of the puzzle missed by developers in their public outreach strategy is the “campaign” style approach the opponents seem to do so well.
Too often biofuel proposals do not offer up an aggressive public affairs campaign when they announce a project, often letting crucial time pass between the announcement of a proposal and when public outreach begins. Opponents use this time to build opposition and sway residents against these projects.
By running a political style campaign, you can reach all residents, identify the supporters, and harness them into action for your project. Here are some crucial tactics that biofuel companies should consider in their outreach efforts:
Announce your proposal wisely – When announcing a project, have a few pieces of direct mail ready to hit all the households in the host community to spread the positive benefits of the project. Follow this up with newspaper web ads, and phone banking of the community to, again, further identify supporters. Have an open house to answer residents’ questions and recruit supporters. All of this should be done in the first few weeks after announcing a project, to not allow the opposition to gel and take over the narrative. Too often companies allow precious time between announcing a project, and disseminating information to the community.
Meet with identified supporters – Once you have a database of supporters built from the mailers, ads and phone calls, the developer should meet with them so that they know they are not alone in their support, and they are a grassroots force that can begin to write letters to public officials, the newspapers, and attend key public hearings and speak out. Rarely will a supporter write a letter for you or attend and speak at a public hearing if you have not had the face to face contact with them previously.
Build grasstops support – In addition to reaching out to residents, stakeholders and well known members of the community, along with businesses, associations, and other civic groups should also be met with to attempt to bring on board for support.
Keep an updated database – As you begin to identify supporters of your project, that information should be put in a database to refer to throughout the entitlement process of your proposal. Coding your supporters by local legislative districts can also help if you need to target a particular local legislator who may be wavering in support.
The key goal of these types of campaigns is to never allow the opponents an opportunity to seize the moment because of inaction by the developer. Just announcing a biofuel project is not enough to assume that everyone will be on board to support it. By running an aggressive campaign and identifying supporters, you have taken a key step of any successful campaign. Knowing what to do with the identified members of a community who support your project is the next step, and one that will allow vocal support to outnumber opponents – whether it be petitions, letters or crowds at public hearings.
In 2013 and beyond, expect NIMBY opposition to biofuel projects. Meeting this challenge with proven grassroots techniques will be critical to making 2013 a success for biofuel companies.
Photo: Delray Beach, Florida.
Al Maiorino
President, Public Strategy Group
Al Maiorino started Public Strategy Group, Inc. in 1995. His firm has developed and managed multiple corporate public affairs campaigns in a variety of industries such as gaming, cable television, retail development, auto racing, energy and residential projects. Additionally, his firm has worked on projects in twenty states and three countries.
