Edwards County, Illinois

Engagement Strategy

‍SITUATIONAL AWARENESS
‍Edwards County is located in southeastern Illinois, near the state's eastern border with Indiana, and is home to slightly more than 6,000 people. The closest cities are Louisville (145 miles to the east) and St. Louis (130 miles to the west.)

Household income is below average, and the county wants more economic development to support its tax base.

Edwards County is 97% white, and voted 84% for Donald Trump in the 2020 election. Champion Laboratories is by far the largest employer with more than 1,000 employees. Champion makes oil filters. There also appears to be a substantial number of wetlands.

Needless to say, this is a potentially harrowing environment for a clean energy project.

However, the three County Commissioners responsible for approving the project are Republican and have resource extraction, economic development and agriculture backgrounds. So, while we know we are facing growing ideological opposition amongst their constituency, the three commissioners may be swayed by more pragmatic arguments that can demonstrate a clear economic benefit.

Last April the county adopted a fairly boilerplate solar ordinance with a 150-foot residential setback. They amended the ordinance this April with a 500-foot setback, then amended the ordinance yet again in July to allow for a 250-foot residential setback. Each vote was unanimous. The county is actively preparing for solar and has deliberated about the appropriate parameters.

Because Vesper is also developing its Meadow Springs project in White County, south of Edwards, the company should be attentive to how it is perceived regionally because Edwards and White Counties will have network overlaps.

INITIAL STRATEGIC ANALYSIS
BAM is Bantam’s strategic planning tool built on the principle that to succeed, we must be Brave, Alert and Motivated.

Brave - Why do we have confidence in success?
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Pro-development. With an economic development project, the initial inertia is to find a way to say Yes.
Solar makes sense. With almost no impacts, solar is the lowest cost way to increase our energy supply and enhance and leverage our energy independence.
Due process. By meeting the requirements of the ordinance, the project will be playing by the rules and regulations that the county commissioners unanimously enacted.
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Alert - What threats or misperceptions do we need to overcome?
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Clean energy has become more polarizing. Trump voters knee-jerk against what they perceive as part of the loathed Green New Deal.
The county’s main employer supplies combustion engines. Calls to replace fossil fuels with renewable energy are perceived as an existential threat.
Insular decision-making. Positions are likely to be solidified behind closed doors well in advance of any public deliberation.
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Motivated - Which opportunities excite us?
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Make property owners the champions. This is a private, locally-driven economic development project.
Make a sound economic case. Tout tax revenue, community benefits agreements, local construction spending and charitable giving.
Win allies early. County thought leaders will drive how the project is framed in the minds of residents and decision makers.

The goal of Phase I is to build relationships with the most important community stakeholders, gain a deeper situational awareness and 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. Define potential benefits. Begin with a detailed conversation internally about what Vesper is willing and able to give to get this project done.

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? Once you have some parameters on what you’re willing to give, we can find effective ways of promoting the benefits it intends to deliver.
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2. Create a values-based message. Identify the problem(s) developing this solar project will solve. The messaging points may evolve as you consult stakeholders, but you should identify an organizing principle for which you can continue to make the case.

Based on Edwards County's agricultural heritage, natural resource endowment, and need for economic development, the project’s most salient message will likely be about economic development and positioning solar as an additive to the region's energy portfolio, rather than directly challenging fossil fuels or linking the project to a broader clean energy narrative. Underlying messaging points could include:

• Sunny Prairie Renewable Energy will create new economic opportunities for Edwards 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.

• Vesper is a good neighbor and good-faith partner in developing this project. We are 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.
Ensure Sunny Prairie is not framed in direct opposition to fossil fuels but rather as a complement to the region's existing agricultural base is critical, especially for Commissioner Ledger and Commissioner Messman. Ledger's area of expertise is agriculture and financing economic development. Messman's family oil and farming legacy will color his perspective.

3. 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, are pro-solar development, and can speak as a message validator for landowners. Cultivate these individuals so they are comfortable sharing their perspectives at events and commissioner meetings.

Because agriculture is such a staple of the community and the county is so small, Vesper must enlist participating residents.
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.

4. Connect with key local agricultural stakeholders.

Using the principles of the "network effect," these initial touchpoints will help you insert yourself and make high-value relationships in the community.
Reach out to the Edwards County Soil & Water Group, which focuses on local farming.
Organizations like the Edwards County Farm Bureau can speak to concerns relevant to local agricultural operations. The local Farm Bureau is conservative, so your case to win their support should be based on economic 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.
You will also need to understand and address the collateral economic impacts of taking acres of farmland out of agricultural production. 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.
Each member of the County Board of Commissioners has a tie to agriculture, making Vesper's relationship with the Farm Bureau, and even Prairie River Network and Edwards County IL Soil & Water, all the more important to affirm that solar is a value-add to the region and does not damage soil or the long-term ability to farm the land.
Agricultural Interests - Rebecca Perry, Manager at Edwards County Farm Bureau; Kim Erndt-Pitcher, Senior Habitat and Agriculture Programs Specialist, Prairie Rivers Network; Catie Gregg, Agricultural Programs Specialist, Prairie Rivers Network

5. Connect with the region's local economic development, workforce training, and labor interests. 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, Edwards County, like many rural areas, is experiencing a "brain drain" and a lack of sustained investment. Being clear about the investment dollars at stake, the long-term workforce opportunities, and how Sunny Prairie can help establish a sustainable tax base for the county can be pragmatic.
Open conversations and build formal or informal partnerships with one or more 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 Wabash Valley College, which already has an Energy Technology program.
Partner with (and become a dues-paying member of) the Albion Area Chamber of Commerce to validate your economic development message, demonstrate a long-term commitment to the community, and strengthen the company's workforce development message.

• Work with the Chamber of Commerce to join their monthly "Eggs & Issues" Community Breakfast as an opportunity to speak directly with the local business community about the opportunities the project offers the region and how concerns can be mitigated.
Economic Interests - Jessica Gwaltney, President, Albion Area Chamber of Commerce; Lora Smith, Executive Director, Greater Wabash Regional Planning Commission; Darrell Hampsten, Community Development Coordinator, Greater Wabash Regional Planning Commission; Jeff Vaughan, Community Development Coordinator, Greater Wabash Regional Planning Commission

6. Offer regular check-ins with the Edwards County Board. As much as this is an exercise of keeping these key decision-makers informed, 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 checks the box of keeping decision-makers informed, 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.
The county commissioners are residents of the community, and many are engaged in the agricultural economy – making the case that this project 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 Sunny Prairie is in the county's financial interest while leaning into landowner choice and a "free-market" ethos will probably align with their disposition.

7. Directly engage with the County Sheriff, Darby Boewe.

Use these engagements to understand public safety concerns Boewe might have and how Vesper can play a role in supporting local safety services and personnel.
Initiating this outreach will hopefully earn respect from the Sheriff's department and unofficially recruit them as an ally of the project.

8. Expand your community outreach activities into education, non-profits, energy and religious orgs. Examples include:

Energy Interests - Amanda Pankau, Senior Energy Campaign Coordinator, Prairie Rivers Network
Educational Interests - Engage the Edwards County Community School District. Absent community benefit agreements, Vesper can demonstrate an additional commitment to the community and workforce development by providing in-kind programming to the school or financially sponsor the STEM Program or Science Fair.

This phase coincides with landowner outreach and securing easements and rights-of-way. The goal of this phase is to secure agreements with landowners. 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.

Hold informal community meeting(s) to promote the project's community benefits, spread positive messaging, and create opportunities to hear community feedback.

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 Edwards County Fair, held in July.

Take steps to earn community support and build social license.

Edwards County is struggling with budgetary issues impacting local safety services and infrastructure. Sunny Prairie 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.
Making commitments to local charity organizations or 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.

Activate the project's core group of supporters and direct their activism toward securing approval from the County Commission.

Take activists from your grasstops and "Landowner Ambassadors" networks and keep them in the loop on the project's development and progress.
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.
Invite this core group of supporters to attend relevant County Commissioner meetings or submit public testimonies in writing.

Summary

Engagement should deepen over time, with the ultimate aim of securing the tacit approval of the county commission ahead of the official vote (in other words, the commissioners have their questions answered and Vesper is aware of each commissioner’s thinking on the issue). The stakeholder engagement and supporter recruitment help validate your position and demonstrate broad community support before and during the public hearings on the project.