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Energy Report
Q3 2026
As we head into the last stretch of the year and key milestones, including the midterms and RE+, we’ve seen a narrative shift from “power is needed for innovation” and “energy needs to catch up to the speed of tech” to “community and people benefits” and “working and building toward affordability together.” The policy conversation has focused on what can be implemented, with permitting reform serving as a central example of the bipartisan talking point: we need to work together to build energy. Policies are less focused on the type of energy and more focused on costs. Residential and distributed grid solutions, such as VPPs and batteries, are emerging as people seek more control over their energy prices and reliability. Meanwhile, affordability remains the through line across local, national, and global energy challenges, including data centers and oil and gas prices.
What this means for communications professionals
Talk to the Community.
Pushback on energy and data center projects has shown that community engagement cannot be ignored. And it’s not enough to talk about general economic benefits and job creation. You need to have a clear community relations approach with examples of how you worked with different communities and customized to their needs.
Talk Like a Human.
We’re using more jargon than we realize. Increase reliability, load flexibility, and distributed capacity are industry terminology. The ability to talk about these concepts in simple, general-audience language is key to getting your message across. Translate what your solution or approach means for real people, not just the grid or the customer.
Talk Politics (Sort Of).
If you want media coverage and to be involved in the conversation, you cannot sidestep midterms and policies. You do not have to comment directly, but plan what you want to say about the themes at the heart of the election, like affordability, building projects, and the energy supply chain.
Energy affordability became a defining theme last quarter, with coverage of energy costs and prices gaining prominence as the midterms approach. Coverage shifted to explain how high crude prices affect individual consumers through household fuel costs, including higher winter heating bills and prices at the pump. Trump, oil, and Iran remained central to conversations as the conflict and volatile energy markets continued to cause uncertainty and price spikes, fueling inflation concerns. High diesel prices put pressure on businesses and consumers. Data center coverage focused on local opposition, bans and moratoriums, grid connection rules, and who pays for new infrastructure. Permitting entered the scene as the Senate reached a deal on a bill that would speed approvals of new energy projects. Extreme weather outages and the executive order relating to the bulk power system also shaped power discussions as the summer ended.
Energy policy, investment, and innovation are increasingly shaped by economic uncertainty, affordability concerns, and political pressure. Oil supply disruptions tied to the conflict with Iran raised questions about energy security and inflation, while persistent energy costs and rising utility rates intensified scrutiny of who pays for grid growth. Meanwhile, AI and data center expansion accelerated conversations around grid investment, capacity, and emerging corporate-funded infrastructure models. Together, these conversations underscored the growing stakes of energy policy and the need for a more modern grid.
Plug-in and community solar gained momentum in energy conversations as less capital-intensive options for meeting national power challenges. Examples included California’s plug-in and community solar bills and Virginia’s bulk-buy solar program. Extreme heat, wildfires, and outages kept grid resilience in focus, while low levels on the Danube River disrupted nuclear generation, underscoring climate risks to power supply. Global energy deals, such as the coal pledge from the Trump-Xi Summit and the Venezuela oil deal, are meant to increase energy capacity while lowering prices. The permitting deal drove coverage across generation types, as the industry seeks permitting reform that would allow energy projects to be built faster to meet energy needs, particularly from large loads and electrification.
Trades We're Watching
Coverage shifted from speculation about major policy and geopolitical developments to practical implications. Initial concerns over the One Big Beautiful Bill gave way to reporting on a clean energy industry proving more resilient than anticipated, while the Iran conflict continued to spark conversation around the impacts of supply disruptions on global energy markets. Meanwhile, batteries gained visibility as a solution to evolving grid needs, and AI coverage increasingly examined hyperscaler accountability and the challenges of supporting data center growth. As the midterms approached, industry publications also explored the role of states, permitting reform, and affordability in shaping the next phase of energy development.
What We're Reading
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Energy conversations reflected growing competition for technological leadership in nuclear fusion, advanced nuclear energy, and renewable energy development alongside political debates over affordability, reliability, and energy security. China's nuclear fusion advancements generated the strongest engagement, while nuclear innovation and renewable expansion fueled discussion surrounding the potential for emerging technologies to deliver more affordable, reliable, and cleaner energy.
Conversation volume peaked on September 2, driven by Trump's Venezuela oil agreement and its implications for global supply and U.S. energy independence. Broader discussions highlighted geopolitical threats to oil infrastructure, consumer frustration over rising energy costs and grid constraints, and continued debate over the risks and benefits of nuclear and renewable energy.
Social energy conversations last quarter were closely tied to politics and global power dynamics given the continued focus on Trump and Iran. Rather than focusing primarily on specific energy technologies, discussions centered on control of oil resources, geopolitical tensions, and government accountability for energy costs.
Iran-related supply threats and Trump's Venezuela oil agreement reinforced concerns over energy independence and global market stability. Meanwhile, conversations around grid constraints and rising consumer costs fueled criticism of political leadership, suggesting that energy reliability and affordability are increasingly viewed through a political lens.
Two distinct conversations emerged around the future of energy and the risks facing today's supply: optimism about clean energy innovation and growing concerns about global energy security. #RenewableEnergy, #CleanEnergy, and #SolarEnergy highlighted the practical benefits of clean energy adoption, including household savings, solar incentives, and emerging technologies such as fusion and hydrogen.
Meanwhile, #Oil, #GeoPolitics, #EnergySecurity, and #Iran reflected growing concerns over global supply disruptions, particularly tensions surrounding the Strait of Hormuz and sanctions on Russian oil. Together, these discussions highlighted the contrast between optimism around clean energy innovation and immediate concerns over affordability and supply security.
