De-Risking Data Center and Energy Infrastructure Investments with a Community Buy-In Framework

Situation

Three public utilities serving 2.35 million Wisconsin electric customers proposed a long-duration energy storage pilot at the Columbia Energy Center, a coal plant scheduled for retirement in 2026. The closure placed a real economic burden on the Town of Pacific, Columbia County, and the City of Portage — the loss of 106 local jobs and of the utility-shared revenue those communities depend on. A U.S. Department of Energy award required a credible Community Benefits Plan showing genuine local buy-in.

Role

VMI Energy Solutions contributed to developing the Community Benefits Plan submitted with the formal proposal to the U.S. Department of Energy, with emphasis on community and labor engagement, workforce investment, and the framework used to align local stakeholders behind the project.

Action

We helped structure a two-way engagement program built on existing relationships rather than one-way announcements: monthly meetings with county board members, the Town of Pacific chair, and City of Portage executives; presentations to the Chamber of Commerce and community groups; and a stakeholder analysis mapping each partner to a plan component. Regional and statewide reach was extended through UW–Madison's Clean Energy Community Initiative and its 120+ partners, with co-discovery, co-design, and mobilize phases and an engagement summit at the close of each project phase. A long-standing partnership with the Ho-Chunk Nation was carried into the plan. On workforce, we helped articulate the mitigation path for lost coal jobs — Alliant's Future Fill transfer program, a Madison Area Technical College partnership embedding the CO₂ storage technology into the Renewable Energy Certificate and Energy Storage curricula, site visits for apprentices, IBEW Local 965 pre-apprenticeship pathways, and UW–Madison InterPro upskilling for the existing workforce.

Outcomes

The plan produced letters of support from the City of Portage and the Ho-Chunk Nation and a positive engagement position from Columbia County and the Town of Pacific. Committed resources totaled 1,152 hours per year from the lead utility across nine executive and management roles, a funded community liaison manager, a $661,155 CBP budget request with 50% cost share, and $50,000 in philanthropic support. The MATC CREATE Center network carried project results to more than 900 educators across all fifty states, and the plan established a community-backed pathway for repurposing the retiring coal site as a clean energy campus.

Situation

The Opportunity Corridor Section 2 was a road construction project connecting Cleveland's east and west sides. For years residents opposed building the road through their communities.

Role

We created and executed a public relations campaign to communicate the project's benefits, quell the negativity, and increase awareness of construction and trade employment opportunities.

Action

We began with a community kick-off event inviting local politicians, community leaders, pastors, construction owners, residents, and job seekers. Working with a graphic designer, we wrote the content for “Opt-In for Opportunity,” the quarterly newsletter, and fliers for the monthly Career Awareness Sessions and quarterly Contractor Entrepreneurial Series.

Outcomes

More than 450 people attended the kick-off event in a historic community theater, supported by radio advertising, fliers, and email distribution. Four-page, full-color newsletters were distributed physically and digitally to residents, supporting organizations, and the construction industry. Over 38 Career Awareness Sessions drew 370+ attendees, with 50,000 fliers distributed annually; the Contractor Entrepreneurial Series distributed 30,000 fliers annually. More than 68 companies attended the sessions and ten contracts were awarded.

Situation

In 2007, Cuyahoga County embarked on its largest construction project in over 30 years. The Juvenile Justice Center needed a new home, and the choice to build it in an impoverished residential community was met with backlash.

Action

We created a monthly print newsletter with a consistent format: where the project stood in the construction schedule; a profile of an individual or company working on the project; employment opportunities at construction companies and trade unions; and a highlighted trade such as electrical, drywall, HVAC, masonry, or steel.

Outcomes

The newsletter reached 5,000 residents in the Fairfax community and more than 12,000 individuals overall through neighborhood development corporations, libraries, the County website, and stakeholder email — including government officials, the public transportation system, energy companies, pastors, and teachers. Consistent, strategic communication reduced community complaints and inquiries by conveying the project's current and future job opportunities.