How to respond to disinformation about clean energy, at scale

Misinformation about clean energy has become increasingly prevalent, particularly during events like blackouts or proposed projects, where clean energy often faces unwarranted blame. Good Power, an organization led by CEO Leah Cuspa, aims to combat this misinformation through a multifaceted approach that includes message testing, polling, and a network of content creators. The organization focuses on addressing the most common false narratives surrounding renewable energy, such as claims about reliability and the impact on farmland.

Good Power's strategy emphasizes the importance of credible messengers, often local community members, to share authentic stories about clean energy. This grassroots approach aims to foster genuine conversations rather than relying solely on traditional messaging tactics. Cuspa highlights the necessity of understanding public sentiment and engaging with local leaders to discern true opinions from orchestrated campaigns. The organization also employs advanced tools like True Voice, an AI-driven system designed to analyze public comments on energy projects, helping regulators distinguish between legitimate feedback and manufactured opposition.

The conversation touches on the challenges of maintaining public support for clean energy amid a landscape filled with misinformation. Good Power's efforts include rapid response campaigns to counteract disinformation during critical events, as well as ongoing educational initiatives to build community support for renewable projects. As the clean energy sector faces increasing scrutiny, the organization's work aims to create a more informed public discourse and facilitate the transition to a decarbonized economy.

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Disinformation about clean energy is showing up everywhere — online after every blackout, at county commission meetings about siting new projects, in regulatory dockets stuffed with fake comments. GoodPower, which combines a C3 education arm with a C4 advocacy arm, is trying to fight back with a network of thousands of content creators, rapid-response campaigns around storms and grid failures, and an AI tool that detects manufactured public comments. I talk with CEO Leah Qusba about what they've tried, what they've measured, and what actually works. Chapters: 00:00 – Introduction 03:06 – What the disinformation claims, and who spreads it 05:57 – From Action for the Climate Emergency to GoodPower 08:38 – Building a creator network in non-political verticals 14:17 – Competing with talk radio and Fox News 18:26 – Winter Storm Fern and the rapid response system 23:26 – Measuring whether a deployment actually worked 27:24 – Pre-bunking and the 80-county experiment 33:18 – Getting people off the couch and into the room 38:10 – AI agents and where human judgment sits 42:05 – Keeping the C3 and the C4 distinct 47:13 – Battery fires, Moss Landing, and talking to fire chiefs 50:54 – TrueVoice and manufactured public comment 56:13 – Whether AI will overwhelm the comment process 58:11 – The best messages that actually land 1:04:22 – Super PACs, budgets, and what comes next