Pecos County, TX
Engagement Strategy
Pecos County, located in Western Texas, is the second largest county in the state by area and has with just over 15,000 residents. It is home to one of the largest oil fields in the United States, the Yates Oil Field, which is in the extreme eastern part of the county, along the Pecos River. While a red county, it leans more toward the middle than the extreme, and has a recent history of renewable energy development in the county with more than 20 renewable energy projects in operation or construction. The general consensus is that oil and gas and renewables can all coexist in Pecos County.
There is no zoning permits needed since it is in an unincorporated portion of the county, but applications/requests for tax abatement on economic development (Chapter 312) require a public hearing with a 30-day notice of consideration issued by the County Commissioners Court. The County then acts on the application within 60 days of receipt.
Our goal is to foster good relationships with the Commissioners Court, the County Judge and other community thought leaders to ensure community goodwill and keep our project in a positive light, with the message that we are so grateful for the opportunity to help advance Pecos County’s leadership in producing low cost energy and supporting American energy independence.
INITIAL STRATEGIC ANALYSIS:
Following is our BAM (Brave, Alert, Motivated) analysis. This tool helps focus our situational awareness on the most important, actionable factors.
There is no zoning permits needed since it is in an unincorporated portion of the county, but applications/requests for tax abatement on economic development (Chapter 312) require a public hearing with a 30-day notice of consideration issued by the County Commissioners Court. The County then acts on the application within 60 days of receipt.
Our goal is to foster good relationships with the Commissioners Court, the County Judge and other community thought leaders to ensure community goodwill and keep our project in a positive light, with the message that we are so grateful for the opportunity to help advance Pecos County’s leadership in producing low cost energy and supporting American energy independence.
INITIAL STRATEGIC ANALYSIS:
Following is our BAM (Brave, Alert, Motivated) analysis. This tool helps focus our situational awareness on the most important, actionable factors.
Brave - Why do we have confidence in success?
- Renewable energu is not new. Pecos County has seen plenty of wind and solar development, with little to no active opposition to their development.
- A balanced-ish county. With two Republicans and two Democrats on the Commission, as well a fair amount of Staff democrats, this is not the deep red Texas some fear.
- Growth is important to leaders. Economic growth and keeping people in the community are top of mind.
Alert - What threats or misperceptions do we need to overcome?
- Renewable overload. With so many renewable projects in the county, residents and decision makers could start to feel burnt out on renewable energy and cause a pause in approving tax abatements.
- Project size. A 700MW project is a lot, even if everything is bigger in Texas.
- Strong oil connections. While renewable project coexist across the county, it is still Texas oil country and those roots run deep.
Motivated - Which opportunities excite us?
- Get Bridgestone involved. With a prominent interested landowner, we have the opportunity to have an influential voice of support in the county.
- Build relationships with leaders. We have two identified potential “ins” in the county to help is get to know the Commissioners and other leaders to reach out to.
- Landowner rights. This is all private land, for the owners to do what they choose to with as long as they are in line with the law.
Goal: Develop and nurture key relationships.
- Once major landowners are in place, (hopefully Bridgestone as well as a few others) the opportunity is ripe to turn them into vocal advocates for the project. We will present them with talking points and answer any questions they may have in order to educate them about the project and its benefits, while also giving them the confidence to become vocal supporters in the community.
- We'll also reach out to the County Judge, Joe Shuster, and Remie Ramos who is the Executive Director of the Ft. Stockton Economic Development Corporation. They are both respected and involved in the community that we'll want to introduce ourselves to to get the lay of the land and get their take on each Commissioner. We'll introduce the project, explain benefits and get a temperature on general sentiment amongst the community and those in positions of power.
Our overall goal as we start getting to know the community is to communicate we are committed to being a good neighbor and a good-faith partner in the county, with the message that message that we are so grateful for the opportunity to help advance Pecos County’s leadership in producing low cost energy and supporting American energy independence. As we come out of Phase I, we should have a better understanding of general sentiment, roadblocks we could face, and have a plan to build out a broader community network of support.
Goal: Use what we learned in Phase I as we reach out to the broader community, prioritizing any connections the initial group of stakeholders recommends. We will build relationships, garner positive press, and educate the community on the project and its benefits.
- Lean on economic development. Leverage our relationship with the EDC and work with local Chambers of Commerce and other economic development groups to educate them on project economic benefits and build a base of support there.
- Non-profits, schools, energy and religious organizations. Continue to expand our outreach to leaders in other areas, tailoring messaging as appropriate to each group.
- Launch a coordinated digital and earned media campaign. Content should be aimed at driving the positive narrative about how solar energy is important for economic development in the region, as well as Vesper being a proactive, good neighbor.
