About this episode

Sean White interviews Heather Newport about community relations in renewable energy projects and the challenges of public opposition.

This podcast episode featured Sean White's interview with Heather Newport, Director of Community Relations at Aileron, a Chicago-based community engagement and public affairs firm that works on renewable energy projects across the United States. Heather discussed the challenges of community opposition to renewable energy projects, particularly battery energy storage facilities, explaining that concerns often stem from misinformation, fear of the unknown technology, and distrust of developers rather than the actual safety of the technology. They explored how Aileron helps developers navigate community relations through early engagement, stakeholder outreach, and relationship building with local officials and residents, emphasizing the importance of listening to community concerns and providing transparent, authentic information about project safety and benefits. Topics Covered Aileron Communications www.aileroninc.com Airplane Aileron Community Engagement in Public Affairs PoliticsPolarization ESS = Energy Storage System EV = Electric Vehicle Moss Landing Battery Data Center NIMBY = Not in my backyard Erin Brockovich Reach out to Heather Newport here: LinkedIn…

People in this episode

Host: Sean White

Guest: Heather Newport

Topics covered

• community relations
• renewable energy
• public affairs
• stakeholder outreach
• battery energy storage
• community engagement

Keywords

• renewable energy
• community engagement
• battery energy storage
• public affairs
• stakeholder outreach
• NIMBY
• misinformation

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Aileron Communications, Aileron, NABCEP, Heatspring, SolarSEAN

Places: Chicago

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