Anti-wind sentiments can attract supporters near and far even though a community, province, or country favors the use of renewable sources as a whole. The silent majority of supporters must be awoken to counter the misinformation and let public officials know they favor a transition to renewable power in their community. Without a strategic plan to build support from the start, wind projects in Ontario will continue to experience the wrath of a well-connected and organized opposition network.
Provide outreach
The wind industry must strive to start a dialogue and work to dispel the myths that plague most new wind proposals. The industry must inform and educate the communities they move into using a variety of outreach methods. Among these techniques are direct mailing to educate residents about project details, telephone identification calls to identify potential latent supporters, and open house information sessions to open channels of direct communication between residents and project experts who can answer questions face-to face with supporters, undecideds and opponents.
Residents want to be informed and to know the assets and drawbacks a project will bring. If project advocates do not inform them, it is a certainty that opposition groups will. Furthermore, some locals may have very legitimate concerns that require in depth answers. It is paramount that these concerns are addressed or acknowledged by the wind company itself while analysis takes place. Rather than ignore citizen complaints, industry leaders must keep residents engaged while working to find ways to address the concerns of interested parties.
Maintain contact
Companies must also build a database of supporters to call upon when a mobilization of support is needed. The question that all too often is not asked is “are you willing to help?” to awaken the silent majority of supporters. If residents are provided with “how to help” handouts and project fact sheets, they can communicate directly with public officials through coordinated letter writing campaigns and hearing attendance.
Additionally, the growing role of social media cannot be neglected. Creative content that can be shared easily is an important digital dialogue facilitator. Staunch opposition will never tire in its public outreach, and neither can those who put forth the proposal. When supporters run social media sites and get creative on multiple platforms, the media and public officials are inclined to take notice.
Maintain the Momentum
Finally, supporters must be aware that success at the local level can be overturned at the higher levels of government. Teach supporters about how to engage most effectively with their local elected officials on a continuous basis.
