The community warning signs that can make or break a battery project

One of the most important metrics in successful battery deployment is one that’s decidedly harder to quantify than megawatt-hours: trust. Community opposition is quickly emerging as a critical but still underestimated hurdle in accelerating energy storage rollout.

While it’s impossible to predict exactly how a project’s development will unfold, a few warning signs of community opposition can hint at a rocky road ahead.

The very first public meetings about a project can be strong indicators of what’s next, according to Evelyn Carpenter, the president and CEO of Invera Energy. She told ESS News that when town halls or open forums are “emotionally charged” from the outset, that “often means the narrative [about a project] formed before the developer arrived,” particularly if residents are surprised or distrustful. Carpenter also pointed out that social media can play a large role in forming and shaping those opinions.

“If misinformation gains traction quickly, it’s a sign the project team hasn’t established itself as the primary, trusted source of information,” she said. That’s why it’s vital to establish clear and open communication from the get-go, as it allows developers to build genuine connections with the community instead of only opting for a more reactive, “damage control” approach.

“Trust is built relationally, not procedurally,” Carpenter pointed out, adding that while it’s necessary to meet regulatory requirements (such as those around data sharing), that’s not always enough to dispel a community’s worries. “Opposition rarely happens in a vacuum; in our experience supporting utility-scale solar and BESS projects, the ones most at risk aren’t necessarily the largest but those where engagement starts after assumptions have already hardened.”

That’s a large part of why early engagement is so key, she explained. Once a land acquisition goes public or a developer files for permitting for a particular project, the countdown starts. The window to shape public perception for the better becomes very narrow. If community interaction only starts after opposition arises, “you’re no longer informing. You’re defending.”

Another way to predict and counteract potential opposition in advance is through examining the local context. If previous infrastructure projects have led to uproar, or the area is currently experiencing rapid growth, the community may have different attitudes toward new development than regions where neither are true, or in those with active land-use groups.

The conversation around solar and storage deployment is changing, Carpenter explained. Now, it’s less about pitching a new technology and selling its benefits, and more about how the community can manage the speed and scale of new energy infrastructure development. In that context, she said, it’s clear that community engagement now “requires a deeper understanding of local policy dynamics, land-use priorities and how a project fits into the broader energy landscape in that region.”

So, how to put it into practice? Strategic listening and local fluency.

“Every county operates differently,” Carpenter said, noting that successfully navigating community opposition involves understanding the underlying reasons behind the pushback. And, in her experience, communities are more willing to support projects when they feel respected and informed of a project’s impacts. “Acknowledging trade-offs builds more credibility than overselling positives.”

“Lead with transparency before you lead with benefits,” she added. This often helps change the discussion from a “Why is this happening to us?” framing to “How can this work for us?”