Opinion & Commentary

Cleantech, brace for Impact: Prepare now for unprecedented policy, cultural chaos next year

Cleantech, brace for Impact: Prepare now for unprecedented policy, cultural chaos next year
Vice President Kamala Harris speaks at Qcells' manufacturing plant in Dalton, Georgia. (Photo/Jenn Finch, Zorzi Creative)

I think when bylined pieces are at their best, people deliver insights from their experience and expertise – heavy on utility and value, light on personal opinion. With this highly charged topic, I’ll try to hold to that standard. You’ll be the judge. 

I spent the first half of my career working in and around politics, then happily left that lunatic asylum. In the ensuing years, I moved to the center, eschewed partisanship and generally avoided electoral topics (I last analyzed one in 2016). Trust me, it’s been much more rewarding to work for you as a marketing communicator.

Your commercial execution is cleantech’s backbone. But politics affects policy, and policy affects cleantech’s business landscape. So, I’ve kept in touch with savvy strategists on both sides to help me distill political-policy vectors affecting our clients – especially the incumbent-opponents’ lobbyists, front groups, and tactics. 

Consistent for years has been an attitude and infrastructure gap. The incumbent industries never stop weaponizing their government influence and propaganda to manage challenges to their market share. They invest, deploy these tools against you, then reap the benefits. 

You, by contrast, are smart, inspiring problem solvers who want to win on merit. Your companies have underinvested in public case-making for over a decade. 

The gap between these approaches has imposed costs that have steadily grown with the energy transition’s advance. But recent events have accelerated us toward a business environment with more federal policy and cultural instability than we’ve seen in our lifetimes. 

It’s not even August, and we’ve already seen: 

  • President Biden’s historic decision to end his reelection campaign, stemming from his disastrous debate performance
  • Shocking decisions by a historically corrupt Supreme Court
  • Foreign cyber meddling in our elections
  • The launch of AI’s uncontrolled experiment on society
  • The attempt on Trump’s life
  • Elon Musk’s decision to put both his money and X to work for Trump 

We can’t be certain of the particulars ahead. Things will likely change, and good outcomes are still possible. But we can be certain of one thing: If current trends hold, Trump will be reelected, and none of us are really ready. 

Cleantech should brace for impact

If you run a clean economy company, I strongly recommend that you soon:

  1. Organize an internal group of employees and outside advisors to run the equivalent of a “Red Team” exercise. How could incumbents’ lobbyists push punitive, formerly unconstitutional policies to harm your business? Be imaginative, and don’t underestimate their ruthlessness and cunning. They’re already lying about EVs in campaign ads. They’ll lie about you next. 
  2. Design a plan to dramatically expand your public case-making. The Red Team exercise should identify your company’s vulnerabilities. Expand your corporate communications to manage them. Most B2B marcom and public affairs communications operations consist of 1-3 FTEs operating with modest budgets, naysaying general counsels, and no one with professional political experience. Do not bolster your preparation by throwing dollars at former elected officials or high-priced lobbyists. Instead, hire people who’ve gotten people elected at the same level of government that’s the biggest threat to your company.
  3. Revisit the definition of your customer personas. The policy chaos from Trump II will ripple through society. Almost everyone making your customers’ purchasing decisions will be enticed to become more political – or else shun anything even hinting at politics. Commercial success in 2025 and beyond will require unprecedented deftness in understanding your critical audiences. In a polarized environment, people will be cued to hear subtleties, intentional or not. Choices of words and information sources will matter more than ever.  
  4. Go on a news diet and encourage your employees to do the same. Yes, be informed. But stop there. The cable and online news channels monetize eyeballs and clicks by addicting you to negative emotions. Analysis and information slide easily into commentary… and that’s when you’re hooked. Doom scrolling and compulsive news media consumption next year could prove a significant drain on productivity – your and your employees. Be open with your employees about this, and share your willingness to put yourself on a strict news consumption diet. 

It sucks for me to write this, for you to read it, and for all of us to watch these developments and wonder, “Where are the adults?” We have to level with ourselves that the stakes are terribly high. 

Yes, America is a superpower. But the republic is held up by shared values and democratic norms, not titanium rods that can withstand four years of determined vandalism. While we can disagree on all sorts of policies – immigration, taxes, etc. – we can’t debate any of that without working governance. Look no further than Poland to see how hard it is to return to democratic norms.   

The busyness of American work life makes it easy to turn away, to focus on the immediate tasks at hand. But as a young sector that’s just starting its growth spurt, the reality of a country on edge demands that we pay attention and manage risks… starting now. 

If you think your work is important, you have no choice but to prepare for its protection.