Energy PR

Energy PR is interesting to think about as a possible specialty because it can encompass so many different jobs, so many different organizations. I used to think immediately of big oil when I heard the term energy PR, but it could just as easily mean working for a wind farm, or a venture capital firm dealing with energy grid technology, or even the local utility company. I know someone who does PR for a state electric company, and her job sounds way more interesting than I would have imagined. She’s doing things like preparing company executives for interviews on national news shows doing segments on energy policy. Energy PR in action!

I happen to get electric service from that company, and now that I’m paying more attention, I can see all the customer-facing energy PR that its communication department takes on. For example: Earlier this year, the night before a big snowstorm was about to come through, I got an e-mail from the company talking about what to do if the power went out. That may be an industry standard thing, but personally, I never would have expected the electric company to reach out to customers before an outage. The e-mail didn’t include any groundbreaking insights – don’t most of us know by now that touching downed wires is a bad idea? – but I think little efforts like that go a long way toward softening up the image of a place you don’t usually notice unless something bad happens.

Knowing someone who works in Energy PR on a more local level helped me broaden my idea of the field. Now that I think about it, that may be a fascinating public relations specialty to pursue. There are a lot of exciting things happening in terms of green energy technology. I get the impression there’s a lot of investment happening in that area, too, which may well mean more hiring. This is one of those industries where finding clear, interesting ways to communicate complicated things is particularly important – especially, I imagine, when it comes to attracting more investors.

The unrest in the Middle East right now, and the subsequent uptick in gas prices, is underscoring the need for the U.S. to renew its commitment to investing in alternate sources of energy. Working on the communication end of that effort seems like it might be a fascinating way to make a living.


Kevin Waddel is a free lance writer. To get more information about Public relations, Public Relations New York and Energy PR visit http://www.makovsky.com