White County, IL

Engagement Strategy

This document provides recommendations and actionable next steps for Vesper related to its Meadow Springs Renewable Energy Project proposed for White County, Illinois. These recommendations are based on initial information gathered in the Community Assessment provided by Bantam Communications.

This Community Engagement Strategy is divided into four sections: (1) situational awareness; (2) information gathering, message development, and infrastructure; (3) public affairs campaign; and (4) persuasion and activation campaign. At each point in the plan, Vesper and Bantam should exercise judgment based on the developing situation on the ground and evaluate each preceding step's success.

This strategy primarily focuses on building a winning coalition that can effectively advocate for the solar project to White County's Solar Farm Committee and ensure the members of the County Board recognize the benefits of the project.
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SITUATIONAL AWARENESS:
‍White County is located in southeastern Illinois, across the Wabash River from Indiana. The region is primarily agricultural-use and is far removed from sizable urban areas—approximately 150 miles from both the nearest major cities: Louisville, KY, and St. Louis, MO. The median household income is below the national average, and the community appears interested in jobs, infrastructure maintenance, and attracting economic development to support its tax base.
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The community is conservative, with Republicans controlling most of the region's governing bodies. Because of the county's economic development needs, the county has been pragmatic and open to solar development up to this point and has generally taken a pragmatic view on new energy development.
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While there are some solar and wind projects in the region, the area has not seen significant renewable energy penetration compared to other parts of the Midwest. While there are currently other solar projects like Big River Solar outside Enfield, residents do not have significant experience living beside operational solar farms, and the area has not reached a visual burden threshold that should cause serious issues for the viability of the Meadow Springs project.
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Running in the background is also the recent passage of Illinois' Climate & Equitable Jobs Act (CEJA) in September 2021, making the state the first in the Midwest to set a 100% carbon-free power goal by 2045. There are politics around the CEJA, but also an opportunity to talk about how White County plays a part in reaping the benefits of that policy.

This first phase is about building relationships with key stakeholders in the county and building deeper situational awareness. This phase is an opportunity to begin a dialog with landowners and other stakeholders about the benefits of the proposed Meadow Springs project. Most importantly, this is an opportunity for Vesper to hear residents' and stakeholders' goals and ambitions for their community and how the project can align and help achieve those visions. The goal of this phase should be to reach all key stakeholders to begin building the project's winning coalition. By the end of this phase, Vesper should also have a clear sense of the specific concerns residents may have that can be addressed through mitigation or education efforts.

1. Begin with a detailed conversation internally about what Vesper is willing and able to give to get this project done. This should be standard practice and will include conversations about project financials. Understanding what the company is willing to spend on the front end can then be leveraged to achieve the final objective.

For example, is Vesper willing to fund a road repair? Or is there capacity (funding or in-kind) to contribute to local services or charities?
Is Vesper willing to spend the money on economic impact studies? Not having those materials will limit the company's ability to persuade the business community and local leaders of the benefits. Consider partnering with a local university like Southeastern Illinois College or the University of Illinois to commission an economic impact study that can be cited in advocacy materials. Having a local university's name on the study will lend it additional credibility.
Once the company has some parameters on what it's willing to give, it can work with Bantam to find effective ways of promoting the benefits it intends to deliver.

2. Identify the problem developing this solar project will solve. The messaging points may evolve as you consult stakeholders, but Vesper should identify an organizing principle of the project for which it can continue to make the case.

Based on White County's agricultural heritage, natural resource endowment, and its need for economic development, Meadow Spring's most salient message will likely be about economic development and emphasizing the project as a point of pride for the community. Underlying messaging points could include:
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i. Meadow Springs Renewable Energy will create new economic opportunities for White County, including expanding the local tax base to help pay for vital public safety services and infrastructure, giving landowners another land-use option and a stable income, and creating jobs.

ii. Meadow Springs will be a project the community can be proud of. It will make White County an energy producer, more self-sufficient/self-reliant, and is responding to the free-market signal that companies want more clean electricity. Meadow Springs represents White County, and this community is getting what it is owed in terms of future clean energy investment.

iii. Vesper is a good neighbor and a good faith partner to develop this project. Vesper is eager to engage the community, find opportunities to support the community’s vision, and ensure there are broad benefits felt such as improved infrastructure or local power generation that can improve community resilience (depending on the final configuration of the project).
Another important factor for the county to consider is whether residents agree with national Democratic policies or not. There is a lot of funding coming from the federal government through the bipartisan infrastructure law (the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021) and the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (including a full extension of the solar investment tax credit). Recognize there are some political sensitivities around both of these laws for Republicans, still from a pragmatic perspective that is money on the table the county should attempt to attract through clean energy development.

3. Connect with local and statewide energy and environmental advocacy groups – cultivate constructive relations with organizations that advocate in the energy and environmental space.

This is the first step in building out a network of supporters. Using the principles of the "network effect," these initial touchpoints will help Vesper insert itself and make high-value relationships in the community. Follow where these paths lead.
White County is rural and environmental organizing appears weak. The Sierra Club Illinois Chapter is one of the groups active in the area that can play the role of an environmental validator. The group is primarily focused on Sierra Club's historic conservation mission but may be a good entry point to meet natural supporters.
The regional clean energy advocacy group is Clean Grid Alliance; they primarily focus on advancing clean energy policy at the state level. They could be a good resource to validate talking points about solar energy's economic development value.

4. Connect with local and statewide agricultural interest groups – having agricultural groups behind the project will make the land-use change appear less intrusive into the region's historic agriculture practices, instead framing it as another option for farmers to diversify their income streams and voluntarily put the land to use to produce another commodity.

Organizations like the White County Farm Bureau can speak to concerns relevant to local agricultural operations. The local Farm Bureau is conservative, so Vesper's case to win their support should be based on pragmatism and framed as an opportunity to diversify farm operations in the area and voluntarily sequester farmlands that will be protected and can be resowed if the project is decommissioned.

Vesper will also need to understand and address the collateral economic impacts of taking acres of farmland out of agricultural production – how that impacts corn and soybean distributors and other local supply companies. This could be a threat or opportunity for the project – if the major of participating landowners' farms purchase seed and equipment locally, that could be a challenge because that creates a natural local constituency that may oppose the project because it is not in their economic interest. However, if a majority of the supplies are purchased by large corporations or from out of the region, Vesper can position the project as an opportunity for financial independence and greater local self-sufficiency.

5. Connect with local economic development, workforce training, and labor interests in the region. The goal is to create a clear line of sight for residents to see economic opportunity in the solar industry and to ensure they do not view it as an affront or attack on their existing economic base.

Offer briefings to the local economic development, workforce, and labor interests. Based on demographic trends, White County, like many rural areas, is experiencing a "brain drain" and a lack of sustained investment. Being clear about the investment dollars that are at stake, the long-term workforce opportunities, and how Meadow Springs can help establish a sustainable tax base for the county can come across as pragmatic.
Open conversations and build formal or informal partnerships with one or more of the local technical schools to create a clear workforce development pipeline, so residents can see a clear pathway to accessing jobs in solar. Partners could include the University of Illinois - White County Extension, including their 4-H program, or the Ivy Tech Community College in Evansville, which already has an "Energy Technology" program that covers solar power systems.
Because White County lacks much of this workforce development infrastructure (for example, it does not have its own technical schools or universities), Vesper may need to consider additional investments in helping stand up the local infrastructure or partnering with local business interests such as the Carmi or Grayville Chambers of Commerce.
If Vesper is able to formalize a partnership with one of the local schools, such as Ivy Tech, Vesper can leverage the relationship to cobrand campaigns that talk message the jobs and workforce opportunities solar offers. Being seen in partnership with a well-known local entity earns Vesper some validation, and the company begins to look more like a fixture in the community rather than an outsider.

6. Identify your “Landowner Ambassadors”

As Vesper approaches landowners to discuss potential leasing agreements and easements, identify the particularly enthusiastic landowners. Ask them about their stories (how long they lived in the community, what they like most about the area, how Vesper can make the most positive impact on the community, etc. – the goal is to find people who have social cache, an interest in being engaged, pro-solar development, and can speak as a message validator for landowners. Cultivate these individuals, so they are comfortable sharing their perspectives at events, Solar Farm Committee meetings, or signing LTEs.
Finding supportive neighbors can also be helpful. Because the areas around the developments are flat, solar would not change the viewshed for most residents.
Think of these individuals as your frontline of support—their financial interests are aligned with yours. They can be powerful advocates if they feel respected and valued.

7. Develop collateral materials for your target audiences.

Create customized collateral to speak to the interests and concerns of different target audiences. Let the intel you gather from conversations with stakeholders guide the questions you need to answer in the collateral. These materials can be available online but should also be formatted as fact sheets or "leave-behinds:"
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i. Landowners and agricultural interests
1. This material needs to emphasize the following: solar does not permanently degrade the land, that development best practices protect the topsoil and prevent erosion, and solar naturally pairs with existing agricultural operations and provides farmers more options for economically deploying their land.

ii. General public (economic development, health, and environmental impact)

iii. Relevant case studies (case studies from previous successful Vesper projects – with names, faces, 1^st-person testimonials, community benefits).
Remember: Facts alone are not a winning strategy. Data and science need to be persuasively leveraged to advance the project.

8. Offer regular check-ins with the White County Board, especially the member sitting on the Solar Farm Committee. As much as this is an exercise of keeping these key decision-makers informed, so they grow comfortable with Vesper and the project, this is also about building personal relationships with the company's community liaison/representative.

Attempt to meet with each Board member individually and offer monthly or quarterly breakfast meetings. This may be time-consuming, but it pays dividends in the long run. It checks the box of keeping decision-makers informed and allows them time to ask questions outside the public record, and, most importantly, cultivates a positive relationship so that when it comes to a vote, they naturally want to support you.
In these engagements, tailor talking points to each member. Terry Abell, Supervisor of Assessments and a member of the committee, will be responsive to persuasive arguments about tax revenue increases and hedging against declines in coal and oil production over time. Brian Ray, the County Engineer and member of the committee, has concerns about infrastructure maintenance and longevity—making the case that the additional tax revenue will help sustain these upgrades may prove persuasive. Vesper should also be sure to address how it will minimize damage to roads during construction and develop a repair plan for after construction. Finally, Clint Spencer, the third member of the committee, does not have much public information, so a broad case for solar in the region is appropriate.
Many of the county commissioners are lifelong residents of the county and were raised on family farms – making the case that Meadow Springs will give some landowners the option to diversify their land use and provide the financial stability needed to keep farms in the family may emotionally resonate with this group. None of the commissioners appear to have pre-existing biases against solar, so making a clear and transparent case for how approving Meadow Springs is in the county's financial interest while leaning into landowner choice, and a "free-market" ethos will probably align with their disposition.

9. Build out a network of local grasstops supporters and community influencers who can validate Vesper's messaging about the project. This will be a natural outgrowth of ongoing consultations with the groups mentioned in the previous steps. This coalition Vesper builds will be a vital piece of implementing Phase II.

Public Educational Institutions
Agricultural Interests
Economic Interests
Remember: The local name is almost always more powerful and persuasive than the outside name, organization, or business.

10. Build the infrastructure to communicate with and activate your grasstops and "Landowner Ambassador" networks.

Create a regular newsletter that highlights project progress and added value to the community.
Consider engaging these key networks on social media. Bantam can help establish and moderate a Facebook community where important updates can be shared about the project. This can also be a platform for educating key constituencies, so they are ready for activation in Phase III.

11. Cultivate a favorable media environment.

Offer reporter briefings to The Villagers' Voice, the Carmi Hometown Register, and the Crossville Chronicle. While these publications do not have consistent editorials, providing briefings to their staff will allow local journalists to become more familiar with solar technology, help them positively frame solar development in White County, and help ensure they are not inadvertently spreading misinformation in their reporting.

This phase coincides with landowner outreach and securing easements and rights-of-way. The goal of this phase is to secure agreements with landowners while Vesper's application is before the Solar Farm Committee. This phase builds on the network infrastructure Vesper built in Phase I and begins to strategically deploy those assets (allies, collateral, etc.) to advance Vesper's pro-development narrative and manage any potential opposition that arises as the project's profiles grow.

12. Launch a coordinated digital and earned media campaign. Content should be aimed at (1) driving the positive narrative about how solar energy is important for economic development in the region and will create jobs and expand the tax base; (2) White County has the opportunity to get its share of private and federal investment dollars in new energy generation and infrastructure and it does not want to miss the opportunity and leave money on the table; and (3) that Vesper is a proactive, good neighbor.

Digital Advertising:
i. Digital campaigns could feature local residents that represent different constituencies that are in favor of the project.

ii. Consider some co-branded content – there may be some tentpole opportunities where the ads can be adjusted to amplify the "news of the moment." For example, say Vesper becomes a member of the local Chamber of Commerce or establishes a partnership with Ivy Tech. Vesper, with the organization's approval, could run ads that are cobranded to help tie the company closer to locally known entities.

iii. The paid content should track with a steady cadence of organic updates and supportive facts about the Meadow Springs project.
Earned Media:
iv. Because White County is a very small and undiversified media market, the typical "blitz" or "steady drumbeat" or earned media will probably oversaturate the market and may broadly draw too much attention to the project. Therefore, it probably makes sense to present an opening salvo – whoever the face of Vesper is in White County should pen an op-ed to the Carmi Hometown Register or the Crossville Chronicle, essentially introducing Vesper, laying out a value proposition for the Meadow Springs project in the community, and ways residents can get engaged and learn more.
The intensity of this campaign should be based on conditions on the ground (is the company experiencing significant pushback and the formation of opposition groups, or is there simply a need for a general awareness campaign?)
As time progresses and Vesper has a better understanding of where it needs to shore up support, the company can deploy the grasstops it cultivated in Phase I to be featured in targeted digital ads or in a broader op-ed or LTE pieces submitted to one of the three main papers in the county.

13. Hold informal community meeting(s) to promote the project's community benefits, spread positive messaging, and create opportunities to hear community feedback that can inform the next steps. White County is very small, so Vesper may be able to hold one or two informal information sessions and cover a wide range of topics rather than building specific events for individual stakeholder groups.

Invite your cultivated grasstops and influencers to speak at these meetings (e.g., representatives from local educational institutions to talk about the workforce, property owners to talk about landowner benefits, local healthcare professionals or environmentalists to talk about health and environmental benefits, etc.)
Another valuable perspective would be inviting a landowner with a current land control agreement with Vesper for another project to come and talk about their positive experience working with the company and helping residents understand what to expect.
These events can be designed creatively to make them more exciting or interactive. Think about offering promotional swag or food to enhance the community's experience. These are valuable touchpoints to demonstrate a desire to engage the community authentically. Additionally, explore formats that allow the company to manage this discussion and steer it in positive directions.
Take advantage of pre-existing gatherings that can help expand Vesper's visibility as a community partner and good neighbor. These opportunities could include a presence at the Annual White County Fair.

Phase III is an extension of Phase II but specifically refers to the immediate time when Vesper's application is before the Solar Farm Committee, and there are public hearings and comments open. The persuasion and activation campaign's goals are to clearly demonstrate broad community support for the project and the activation of supporters to provide public testimony to the Committee. While there does not appear to be existing organized opposition to solar in White County, turning out supportive residents for the public hearing is critical to avoid being outnumbered by any opposition in those pivotal meetings.

14. Take steps to earn community support and build social license.

Common Benefits:
i. While charities are a typical route of earning community support, research suggests White County is struggling with budgetary issues that are impacting local safety services and infrastructure. Meadow Springs will naturally become part of the county's tax base if built, but there is also the opportunity to sweeten the deal for the county by helping address one of its discrete or one-time budget issues. For example, its ambulance service is suffering because of funding issues. There could also be some relatively inexpensive capital projects like repaving sidewalks, fixing potholes on a stretch of road, or building refurbishments that Vesper can help support as a condition of approval.
Charity:
ii. Making commitments to local charity organizations or committing to directly financing local projects or efforts that benefit the whole community are also valid ways of gaining traction in the community. Gracefully publicize these commitments and allow the benefactors to tout the contributions to the extent possible.

iii. Larger commitments can be made contingent on the project's approval. But if the community appears to be moving towards approval, some good faith contributions to the community help bolster support.

15. Activate the project's core group of supports and direct their activism toward securing Solar Farm Committee approval.

Take activists from your grasstops and "Landowner Ambassadors" networks and keep them in the loop on the project's development and progress before the Solar Farm Committee.
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iv. Educate these activists on the process the project will need to undergo to be successful and the things the company is doing to benefit the community and address any community concerns in good faith.
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v. Invite this core group of supporters to attend relevant Solar Farm Committee meetings or submit testimonies in writing.