NATIONAL ENERGY CAMPAIGNS What’s Happening & What’s Needed APGA Winter Meetings February 1, 2017 1 OVERVIEW THREATS & OPPORTUNITIES • Trump Administration will NOT be able to accomplish ALL energy goals • Prioritize goals and where to support • Opposition has a mission; they are organized, play offense; they are mobilized, well-funded and they are ready • ACT NOW: Finalize & Implement national framework strategy to support proenergy initiatives • Prioritize and mobilize • Support Trump and key elected leaders • Target and move key demographics – recognize new opportunities to expand Republican Party & create a haven for key Democrats • Develop strategy for litigation 2 OVERVIEW TRUMP ENERGY PRIORITIES • American Energy and Jobs – an over-arching, national approach to removing obstacles to US energy production and creating jobs • Onshore Energy: • Removing moratoria • Improving onshore leasing • Providing regulatory certainty • Permitting on federal lands • BLM / EPA and hydraulic fracturing • ESA reform • Pipeline Permitting • Keystone XL and Dakota Access Pipeline • Streamlining Permitting • Providing regulatory certainty • Expanding opportunities for exports 3 THE OPPOSITION FOR DECADES, ANTI-ENERGY.... • Multi-faceted, many voices, all speaking from the same page • Understand campaign cycle; reward “good” candidates/punish “bad” candidates • Create appearance of ground-swell of opposition • Show clear understanding of methodical energy industry culture and communication deficiencies • Capture the cultural, moral upper hand (e.g. climate change, water, future generations, etc..) • Unify multiple anti-energy organizations into a cohesive voice 4 THE OPPOSITION IF IT WORKS, REPEAT • If it works one place, it will likely work again • Unified voice – well-orchestrated, similar thematic language (“KeepIt-In-The-Ground”) • Grassroots savvy - hundreds of anti-development groups are building local resistance campaigns practicing: • • • • • Early use of social media to inspire and foster a sense of community Nationwide effort to coordinate grassroots organizers Civil disobedience, antagonizing, and violence Symbolic victories Harassment / Bullying / Public Shaming 5 THE OPPOSITION NEW GROUND GAME • Moving from procedural delays and litigation to the debate of land rights and environmental justice… and BACK AGAIN! • No longer just about environment, now a human rights issue • Direct link to core Democratic Party politics • Resistance camps create 24/7 protest • Political warfare against the Trump administration • Battlefronts are localized and project-focused • NGOs are key for fighting at the federal level • Litigation, lobbying, commission more studies, leverage global affiliate networks 6 THE OPPOSITION SHIFTING TACTICS Standing Rock shows that NGOs are now incubating local “cells” • Previously funders favored centralized strategies • Now… moving to “underground” decentralized activism • Web tools for decentralized mobilization (Team Sierra, Add-Up, Grassroots Network) • Once a sustainable, networked mechanism is in place, fight is more difficult • Linking to other causes –People’s Revolution, Black Lives Matter, Women’s March • Importing paid protesters to inflate the appearance of support NGOs are “doubling down” on assistance to local organizers • Note: without financial resources, local organizations cannot sustain themselves nor move beyond the issue that brought them together Project-focused – Groups recognize interconnection between energy projects – e.g. pipelines, Permian, Mid-Atlantic, New York, etc.. 7 THE OPPOSITION NGO FUNDING The “Trump Bump” – NGOs getting large membership/donor boost • Sierra Club added 18,000 members (9x increase) and $3M+ since November • Greenpeace USA doubled its membership from 2015 • EDF raised $250,000 in the week following the election • NRDC had 50,000 individual donors in November Large donors contributed to causes at record levels in 2016 • Tom Steyers: $87.6 million • George Soros: $19 - $90 million NGO budgets to fight Trump energy initiatives • ~$200-$400 million “But this election will spark millions of new people to join us in storming that hill. We will not stand down. We will grow bigger, louder, fiercer.” - Center for Biological Diversity dated 11/9/16 8 THE OPPOSITION HYDRAULIC FRACTURING Colorado • Broomfield Council delayed decision on 5/mo moratorium until the end of February. • Boulder Co voted in December to extend current moratorium until at least 5/1/17. • Lafayette City considering Climate Bill of Rights legalizing civil disobedience. Florida • Republican lawmaker filed legislation to impose a statewide HF ban. Maryland • Temporary restriction on Dept of Environment implementation of new HF rules while General Assembly considers a state ban New Mexico • Push for fracking moratoria in San Juan Basin until the 2003 RMP is amended, a Health Impact Study, Water Impact Study and assessment of the “methane hotspot” in the Four Corners region are completed. Texas • Citizens in Balmorhea fighting against plans to frack in the region. • Groups mobilized in opposition to upcoming BLM lease sales across the state. Republican state legislator has reached out to BLM requesting more studies. 9 THE OPPOSITION PIPELINES Texas • Pipeline protest camps - Alpine (Camp Trail Deer), Balmorhea (Camp Toyahvale Council of TX Tribes), South Presidio County (Camp Two Rivers) and Redford (Camp Two Agua es Vida). • Two Rivers Camp was recently “consecrated” with a protest action in early January. • Growing social media presence and traditional media attention. Mid-Continent • (Diamond) Arkansas property owners initiated eminent domain challenges. Other organizations formed to contest the project citing risks to watersheds and wildlife. Resistance efforts spreading to Oklahoma. • (Line 5) Tribal leaders in WI moved to eject a 65-year old pipeline from their reservation citing spill concerns. • (Keystone XL and Dakota Access) NGO mobilization following recent EOs. Southeast • (Sabal Trail) Sacred Water Camp, Crystal Water Camp & the Seminole Nation of North FL coordinating 4 indigenous-led resistance camps in North Florida. • (Bayou Bridge) Bold Alliance organizing efforts; mobilized 300+ to attend a recent 10 Louisiana DEQ hearing in Baton Rouge. THE OPPOSITION PIPELINES Mid-Atlantic • (Atlantic Coast) Groups attacking federal regulators for “ignoring” evidence that ACP is not needed and puts lives, communities, drinking water supplies, private property, publicly owned natural resources and the climate at risk. • (Mountain Valley) Groups protesting impact on the Appalachian Trail and aesthetics. Northeast • (CT Expansion) Pipeline path found to contain cultural features sacred to Native Americans. Indigenous groups have filed with FERC to have sites protected along the route. Calls for local communities to join the fight. • (AIM) CTAs to demand Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) stand against FERC. 11 BUSINESSES OPERATING IN A CAMPAIGN WORLD Corporations (vis a vis campaigns) Campaign Organizations Inward Focus. Internal conversations to meet internal business objectives External focus. In order to be successful, campaigns must engage groups outside of industry Core Competency Focus. Custom built to make a profit in their areas of core competency (i.e., not campaigning) Core Competency Focus. Custom built to beat the opposition (i.e., not producing oil and gas) Methodical. (For good reason)must follow legal, PR and other time-consuming and sometimes restrictive protocols; difficult to adjust course Nimble. Lean and quick to change course because campaigns, messages and areas of focus change fast Positioned for corporate success; not suited for campaign environment. Built to win campaigns. 12 BUSINESSES OPERATING IN A CAMPAIGN WORLD • Proactive: First movers create first impressions. Early communications telling positive stories resonate better than reactions to negative attacks • External & Integrated: Building & maintaining external relationships is critical; coordinating campaign tools and stakeholders in an integrated manner provides credibility & creates effective campaigns • Utilize Third Party Messengers: Third party messengers show that energy production is important to the entire economy • Changing the Narrative: Industry will always lose debates featuring Big Oil against Communities; and Energy versus Environment • Show Pride; Do Not Apologize for Energy: Rather than defend, support industry with facts about how energy benefits Americans 13 BUSINESSES OPERATING IN A CAMPAIGN WORLD • Be Nimble, Be Responsive, Be Proactive • Be Strategic and Take a Long-Term Approach • Anti-energy groups’ GOAL is to end all fossil energy development • Although opposition campaigns have asserted moral & aspirational arguments, oil and gas have winning messages on essential needs, poverty, personal security & the environment • Anti-energy groups have presented no viable alternative or coherent energy plan 14 CONSUMER ENERGY ALLIANCE 2017-2020 CAMPAIGN EFFORTS Coordinated, Multi-Year Campaign to: • Reclaim the energy narrative to include all members of our communities that need to be heard, not just the fringe • Expose and disrupt the economic / business model that antienergy groups use to raise money • Implement multi-dimensional educational campaigns about energy’s importance to all aspects of our daily lives, the American economy and the global economy • Demonstrate how high energy costs effect households, families and small businesses that will suffer high costs without adequate energy development of midstream infrastructure 15 CONSUMER ENERGY ALLIANCE MESSAGE POSITIONING IDENTIFYING KEY CAMPAIGN THEMES/MESSAGES: Opposition positions: (WE KNOW THEM!) CEA’s positions: (PLAY OFFENSE!) • Climate Change is Most Pressing Concern of Mankind • Impacts on Families and Small Businesses • Immediate End to Fossil Energy Use • Diversifying Energy is Responsible; We all Support • Renewable Energy is Readily Available; Industry is Holding it Back • Earth is sacred / environmental pollution must be controlled • Air, Water, Human Health, CancerClusters, Environmental Justice, etc… • Natural Gas & Pipelines = Electricity • False Choice that pits Environment vs Energy Development • Impacts on key Demographics – Working Class; Minority Groups; etc… • Indigenous Rights 16 FOCUS: Families, Small Businesses Phase I – Aug 2016 – Jan 2017 Media: • 1,040 Total Media Placements since August 20, 2016 (avg of 6.7 hits per day) Digital: 3 Campaigns • Aug. 15:Facts Matter • Nov. 2: You Don’t Have to Choose (1M+ Impressions) • Dec. 3: Pipelines Bring (20K+ Engagement/67,340 Displays) ~300 Individual Meetings with Key Audiences • • • • • Congressional/Admin Meetings – 45 Face-to-Face Governors Meetings - 21 State Legislative & Regulatory Officials Meetings – 80+ Local Officials – 20+ (15 F2F + phone discussions) Stakeholders/Key Influentials – 150+ meetings January 16 – Release of “Families, Communities and Finances: The Consequences of Denying Critical Pipeline Infrastructure” 17 CONSUMER ENERGY ALLIANCE THANK YOU! THANK YOU! QUESTIONS? David Holt President Consumer Energy Alliance dholt@consumerenergyalliance.org 713-524-2622 18