Do the Wind Thing: An Op-Ed Proposal Based on Persuasive Storytelling Research
After surveying more than 14,000 people on clean energy storytelling, this is the op-ed Ground Media would recommend.
Read it below, see our guidelines, and get in touch if you’d like a briefing on the research behind this approach:
- Preserving rural communities writ large plays better than focusing solely on preserving farms.
- Individual messengers matter, but their stories must connect to broader community impact.
- Proof is everything. Avoid empty promises; show tangible benefits.
- Be specific. A laundry list of impacts can feel hollow—focus on one or two meaningful outcomes.
- Reframe opposition messaging instead of responding to it directly.
This op-ed is grounded in science, strategy and story. We know that these themes measurably change minds at rates up to 8x benchmark.
Read it below.
If your organization is working on clean energy storytelling, email david@ground.media to schedule a briefing on the research.
Preserving Rural America Through Clean Energy
By Erik Hann, Business Manager, IBEW Local 540
I grew up on a dairy farm in Ohio, where long days of baling hay and milking cows taught me the value of hard work and commitment to community. Farming wasn’t just my family’s livelihood—it was our legacy, the foundation of our way of life.
As I grew older, I became an electrician and eventually a union leader, working on large-scale construction projects, like hospitals and schools, that transformed communities. When the first solar project came to town, I saw how clean energy projects do more than just power homes. These are enormous investments that help protect everything I hold dear: the farms that built my values, the jobs that sustain rural families, and the way of life that defines rural America.
Rural America has always been the backbone of this country. But today, our communities face a crossroads. New industries, including clean energy, are eager to invest in our towns—bringing innovation, reshoring manufacturing, and creating opportunities that strengthen our communities. We can’t let big government, big oil, and billionaire tycoons dictate our future. Pulling permits, stalling progress, and undermining clean energy isn’t just bad policy—it’s an attack on our way of life.
Clean energy projects don’t just generate electricity—they bring stability and opportunity. Wind and solar farms provide farmers with reliable income streams that allow them to hold onto their land and pass it down to the next generation. They create good-paying jobs that keep families rooted, ensuring parents can come home for dinner and kids can grow up with the same values we treasure.
In my own work, I’ve seen solar fields provide farmers with the income they need to keep their farms and preserve their legacies. These projects aren’t about replacing rural America—they’re about strengthening it.
We need leaders to stand up for us, fight for us, and remove barriers to renewable energy projects—not add to them. If they don’t clear the path for clean energy to succeed, towns like mine risk missing a historic opportunity to ensure rural America continues to power our nation—with food, energy, and pride.
Clean energy isn’t just about electricity. It’s about protecting the farms, families, and communities that make rural America strong. The stakes couldn’t be higher. We’re not just fighting for energy; we’re fighting for the future of rural America itself.
