Clean Energy Affordability Messaging Resources
CESA has produced several resources related to strategic communications and clean energy messaging, available exclusively to staff at CESA member organizations. These resources are described and linked below.
How to Provide Effective Messages on Clean Energy Affordability
September 2026
How can program managers and state energy agency leaders design programs, partnerships, and messages so that affordability benefits are understandable, credible, and visible to the public? This session at the 2026 CESA Members Meeting featured a presentation by Natasha Perez, Vice President of Strategic Communications, the Alliance for Climate Transition (ACT). Perez discussed: (1) why affordability messaging often fails; (2) which messages resonate most with different audiences; (3) how program staff can support communications teams; (4) how program design itself can reinforce affordability messages; and more. Slides and a recording of this session are available here.
This session also featured a short presentation by CESA Communications Director Samantha Donalds, highlighting key takeaways from interviews with communications staff at CESA member agencies. The interviews were conducted in the summer of 2026, and discussion focused mainly on how CESA member agencies are communicating about clean energy affordability. Read a summary of interview takeaways here.
Answering Tough Questions Guide for CESA Members
July 2026
Lilette Advisors created a short 4-page document for CESA members with responses to difficult questions and misinformation. Members can use this document to help respond to questions from the media or legislators. Read the Tough Questions Guide here.
Leslie Leavoy, Vice President of Strategic Communications & Public Relations at Lilette Advisors, provided an overview of this document in a July 2026 webinar for CESA members. This webinar also features a presentation on message training for CESA members. Slides and a recording are available here.
Lilette Advisors also shared a series of resources with key messaging and outreach documents related to public messaging on energy affordability. The resources are relevant post-HR1 passage and are template-friendly to be copied or adapted as needed.
Engaging with the Media: A How-to for CESA Members
June 2026
Alex Goldstein, CEO of strategic communications firm 90West, led a water cooler meeting advising CESA members on how to better engage with and respond to media requests in a way that respects the delicate position of state energy agencies as government entities, while championing the message of clean energy affordability to the public. He gave tips tailored to state energy agencies on building relationships with reporters, message development, and interview prep, followed by a Q&A with CESA members.
Directory of Clean Energy Affordability Messaging Resources for States
February 2026
Many state energy agencies are interested in educating consumers about the affordability of renewable and clean energy. CESA has compiled and organized this directory of resources and organizations to help states’ consumer education efforts. The directory lists and describes the pros and cons of resources for educating consumers about energy affordability.
Given that the causes of affordability often vary by state, this directory notes which of the resources below are general and ready for immediate distribution vs. which resources are helpful examples but would need to be modified by an energy agency to reflect specific drivers of affordability in a specific location.