Top Energy Industry Headlines July 28
A collection of today’s top stories
Energy Bill Focusing on Conservation, Can’t Shake Calls for RES (New York Times)
Reid’s new energy bill comes with disagreement between Democrats and Republicans, along with a push for RES Read more
America vs. China: The Energy Consumption Battle
America vs. China: The Energy Consumption Battle
It’s no secret that here in the U.S. we consume more than our fair share of energy. Our abundance of over-sized cars, homes complete with air conditioning and a multitude of mega appliances, as well as our endless need for entertainment make it easy to see why this is the case. However, according to the International Energy Agency announcement earlier this week, we’ve lost the not-so-popular spot of leading global energy consumer to China. Read more
Learning from BP and Washington-Originally published in the Portsmouth Herald
For decades to come, the explosion and subsequent oil spill from BP’s Deepwater Horizon rig will populate textbook chapters and training manuals on governance, communications, and crisis management topics. The new curricula will generate many “teachable moments” and foster robust, subjective debate. Read more
Calypso’s Summer Reading List
I’m not sure why this playful, outdoor season evokes such a strong desire to read. Maybe it’s a harkening back to summer assignments from our English teachers or possibly the need to occupy our minds as we (finally) kickback and relax on the beach. Either way, summer reading lists abound this time of year so we thought we would share ours. What’s on your reading list?
The power of community engagement
It looks like wind power is about to become substantially more prevalent here in New England. Not only is the nation’s first large-scale, off-shore wind farm expected to come online in 2012 on Nantucket Sound, the world’s largest wind power producer, Iberdrola, recently announced it will finance a $1.4 billion power grid upgrade to help pave the way for wind power in Maine.
What caught my eye was the substantial service territory this project will serve. Read more
Calypso Communications Offers Crisis Management Tips to Energy Industry Professionals
Calypso Communications (www.calypsocom.com), a full-service strategic marketing, corporate communications, and business development consultancy, today presents crisis management recommendations to alternative and renewable energy generation and environmental technology professionals. Calypso, nationally recognized for its in-depth knowledge of the power industry, designed the tips to prepare energy experts and companies at all levels of development for a range of crises in this constantly evolving field.
“The energy industry is ripe for crises that are not always limited to traditional fossil fuel power generation,” said Kevin Stickney, Calypso founder. “While many mistakenly avoid or deflect these situations, a crisis can be an unplanned opportunity to communicate key messages, strategic strengths, and corporate values.”
To ease communication efforts while handling a crisis, Stickney recommends establishing a management plan well ahead of a potential situation. Some basic tips include:
- Prepare in advance. A crisis is like a heart attack; the way you live beforehand is better protection than the way you respond afterwards. Do your homework, have a plan, designate a team… don’t wait for the tingling left arm.
- Respect perception. While a local labor issue, pollution infraction, or pricing change may strike you as insignificant, your customers, employees, and investors may think otherwise. A crisis is often based on a perception… and it’s seldom yours.
- Be early. Be honest. Be open. Designate someone to say something. Not always easy or intuitive for plant operators, it’s critical to be concerned, engaged, and responsive. That doesn’t mean you to need to have – or provide – any answers. Leave the disappearing act to pro golfers and politicians.
- Deliver your messages. For every question about what went wrong, there’s a corollary to what went right; without diminishing the importance of the event, get to these points quickly. Express concern and commitment – then move to the technologies, track record, policies, and people that define your firm’s usual standards and its typical success.
- Communicate in arrears. Break down what went wrong, who was impacted, why certain questions were asked, how issues were handled, and where improvements can be made. And make them. In advance. Most important, establish a culture of communicating, in the good times, with those who will need or want answers during any type of crisis.
Kevin Stickney has 30 years’ executive-level experience in managing complex public affairs issues involving waste-to-energy, environmental technology, and a range of other industries. He is an expert in national and international media relations strategies and comprehensive employee, investor, and marketing communications programs for legislative, labor, and regulatory matters; technology and manufacturing sectors; service sector businesses, and capital project business development. Stickney has provided consulting and crisis communications and media training services worldwide, from Europe, Asia, and Australia to North America including Mexico, Canada, and the United States.
“There are no real secrets to effective, efficient, and responsible crisis management, just a few truths,” said Stickney. “Crises will occur in your business, your stakeholders will be affected, and your company’s reputation will change as a result. Those who take the initiative to prepare are often those who emerge from a crisis unscathed.”
Calypso Communications & Strategic Carbon Initiative Advance Partnership, Funding Search
Agency’s Renewable Energy Experience Helps Startup Raise Visibility Read more
Calypso Helps SASS Raise $20,000 for Prevention Programs
Calypso Helps SASS Raise $20,000 for Prevention Programs Read more
Pecha Kucha Returns to Seacoast with a Holiday Season Twist
Portsmouth’s fourth Pecha Kucha Night is scheduled for Thursday, December 3, 2009 at 7 p.m. on the third floor of the Portsmouth Gas Light Co. Read more
Calypso Communications Partners with National Healthcare Initiative to Create Web-Based Grassroots Campaign
Calypso Communications, a full-service marketing, public relations, and graphic design firm based in Portsmouth, recently designed and developed the web-based platform for the “Say ‘Yes’ to Health Reform” (www.sayyestohealthreform.com) national online video campaign. Calypso implemented efficient, open-sourced blogging software to make possible the 50-state collaborative effort by the Partnership to Fight Chronic Disease (PFCD) to illustrate broad public support for addressing the chronic disease crisis in the United States.
“Calypso’s work with the initiative leveraged web-based networking tools like Vimeo to demonstrate the flexibility of social media and the ability of such sites to support complex, multi-user campaigns,” said Mike Teixeira, creative director for Calypso. “Since the PFCD wanted to quickly elevate its presence in the healthcare reform debate, a micro-site built on these technologies was the perfect solution.”
The “Say ‘Yes’ to Health Reform” campaign is a grassroots effort that aims to bring awareness to the United States’ chronic disease crisis and the impact it has on the American people. The site streams video testimonials from citizens affected by chronic disease discussing their support for comprehensive health reform that improves affordability, access, and quality. These numerous, diverse individuals demonstrate the extensive reach of chronic disease management and prevention issues throughout the nation.
“The “Say ‘Yes’ to Health Reform” micro-site humanizes the issues our country is having with chronic disease,” said Paul Young, Calypso founder. It allows our nation’s policymakers to step back from the intensity of the debate in Washington and see the individual faces and voices behind the fight for improved chronic disease management and prevention nationwide.”
To date the “Say ‘Yes’ to Health Reform” campaign website houses more than 100 video testimonials from residents throughout the 17 states in which the PFCD has chapters: Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maryland, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Washington, and Wisconsin. Additional videos will be continuously uploaded and sent to representative Congressional members for the duration of the health reform debate. Visit (www.sayyestohealthreform.com) for more information.
