After 25 years in corporate marketing and communications jobs in the utility, grid and clean energy sectors, the idea of putting out my own shingle as an independent consultant and storyteller is both exhilarating and a bit daunting.
Many things I see on the energy landscape concern me; I also see many opportunities. And the deeper I look the more convinced I am that achieving our broadly shared energy objectives — affordability, reliability, sustainability — is going to require stellar storytelling and communication.
I started Wolf Narrative to help my clients who are leading the energy transition take their storytelling and messaging to a new level. Energy transition leaders need sparkling content that forges an emotional connection with their customers and stakeholders; clearly articulates value propositions and competitive differentiation; puts complex technology, market and regulatory topics in clear, persuasive language and meaningful context. We must also speak directly to stakeholders’ aspirations, needs and concerns, whether stated or unstated.
Communication tools and methods are also changing quickly. I frequently hear that AI is eliminating the need for good writers and content marketers. Not so fast. It’s my strong belief that generative AI is a great tool and asset that makes me a better writer. I use it for research into trends and numbers; developing rough drafts of technology descriptions and other use cases that improve my efficiency and productivity.
But I don’t believe that AI is ready to remove human writers and editors from the loop entirely. For now, AI is not a viable substitute for human creativity, emotion and perspective in the writing process. There will likely come a time in a few years when AI becomes smart enough to replace a good writer, but we’re not there yet and I hope to be retired by then.
Despite the policy headwinds buffeting the clean energy sector, the energy transition continues. Renewables (solar, battery storage, wind) still make up more than 90 percent of new capacity additions to the grid. This will continue to accelerate in 2026 and beyond. Investment in grid modernization — the other key component to building a reliable, affordable and sustainable energy future — will continue to grow at an accelerated pace for many years to come.
All this adds up to interesting times and a target-rich environment for great storytelling and collaboration. If you need some help with your storytelling and communication to drive the energy transition or grid modernization, please reach out to me at Wolf Narrative. I’ll make sure you’re happy you did!