Community solar advocacy campaign in Alberta
Mobilizing Albertans in Community Solar Campaign
In 2016, Solar4All set out to modernize Alberta’s solar energy market by giving everyday Albertans a direct say in how solar policy evolved. Working pro bono, I organized and designed a province‑wide engagement campaign that turned complex solar policy options into clear, accessible actions people could take. Thousands of Albertans signed postcards and joined petitions, while a smaller cohort met directly with their MLAs, helping bridge the gap between technical energy policy and the concerns of everyday citizens.
Client
Alberta Green Economy Network (AGEN)
Sector
Community solar, climate and energy policy
Services
Campaign design, public engagement strategy, digital communications, copywriting, volunteer management, legislator outreach support
Timeline
2015–2016
Problem
Fossil‑centric policies and low public awareness meant most Albertans had little exposure to rooftop or community‑owned solar, even as the province began phasing out coal and expanding renewables.
Approach
Designed and led a community solar advocacy campaign and government‑relations campaign that translated complex solar policy options into clear citizen actions — postcards, petitions, and MLA meetings — focused on energy democratization.
Outcome
Solar4All volunteers delivered thousands of postcards and petition signatures, participated in 20 MLA meetings, and, alongside other advocates, helped secure multiple policy and program changes that expanded opportunities for Albertans and communities to generate their own power.
About the Alberta Green Economy Network
The Alberta Green Economy Network (AGEN) was a provincial coalition that brought together groups such as Greenpeace Canada, Keepers of the Athabasca (now part of Keepers of the Water), and the Calgary Climate Action Network to advocate for a just, low‑carbon transition in Alberta.
The context and challenge
Before 2015, Alberta’s electricity system had been built around large fossil‑fuel generators and corporate utilities, with policy and regulation designed for centralized production rather than small‑scale or community‑owned renewables. In 2015, amid growing awareness of the climate crisis, the new NDP government’s Climate Leadership Plan committed the province to phasing out emissions from coal‑fired generation and increasing renewable power on the grid.
Most Albertans had little exposure to rooftop or community‑owned solar, and the idea that residents could generate and share their own power simply wasn’t part of the mainstream conversation. When the New Democrats formed government, they opened the door to modernizing small‑scale and community generation. Solar4All seized this opportunity by focusing specifically on energy democratization, advocating for small‑scale and community‑owned renewables that would allow ordinary Albertans to participate directly in the shift away from coal.
What we did
Following an early conversation with an NDP MLA and a chance encounter with another group’s tabling campaign, I pitched the Alberta Green Economy Network on a combined community‑engagement and government‑relations effort for Solar4All. I proposed a campaign that would meet Albertans where they were, give them simple, concrete ways to support energy democratization, and channel that support directly to their MLAs.
With AGEN’s backing, I designed the community engagement program and helped build the Solar4All web presence, including writing key copy that translated technical solar policy options into clear, citizen‑friendly asks. I recruited and trained volunteers, arranged tabling sites, and spent many hours in public spaces inviting people to learn about solar and sign on to specific policy requests. I later led delegations that met with Calgary‑area MLAs, delivering postcards signed by constituents and advocating for AGEN’s preferred policy options.
What I delivered
- Campaign strategy and overall campaign design
- Copywriting for website, postcards, petitions, and outreach materials
- WordPress website development and on‑page SEO for the Solar4All site
- Social media content to support campaign visibility and engagement
- Volunteer recruitment, training and management
- Public engagement at tabling sites and community events
- Government relations support, including organizing and accompanying delegations to meet MLAs
Outcomes
Working alongside many other advocates and organizations, Solar4All helped persuade the Alberta government to modify the Micro‑Generation Regulation; introduce Property‑Assessed Clean Energy financing; launch the Alberta Indigenous Solar Program and the Community Generation Program; and extend the On‑Farm Solar Photovoltaics Program—expanding opportunities for Albertans and communities to generate their own power
Solar4All’s tangible contributions included 2,879 signed postcards, 1,566 signatures on hard‑copy petitions, and 3,511 signatures on an online petition provided tangible, easy‑to‑understand evidence of public support for solar energy that campaign partners could bring directly to decision‑makers.
Solar4All volunteers participated in 20 in‑person meetings with Alberta MLAs to share their own reasons for supporting energy democratization and to advocate for Solar4All’s preferred policy options on small‑scale and community‑owned renewables.
While running the Alberta Green Economy Network (AGEN), I had the honour of working with Andy on one of our flagship projects: Solar4All. Andy conceived, built support for, and directed this project which involved a complex partnership between AGEN, small businesses and labour organisations. His compelling pitch to a large Network meeting launched the multi-faceted campaign which included public-facing outreach, government relations, sophisticated social media, research and top-quality written materials. All of these components were designed and implemented by Andy, a testament to his many talents: communicating complex ideas in an engaging way, building relationships with decision makers, developing visually-appealing online content, thorough research and outstanding writing.
The campaign itself led to 2,879 signed postcards, 1,566 signatures on hard copy petitions, and 3,511 signatures on an online petition being delivered to government in support of small-scale solar generation. In addition to ensuring the petitions were successfully tabled in the legislature, Andy also built long-lasting, productive relationships with MLAs, unions and solar enterprises. The announcement of solar initiatives by the Government of Alberta in 2016 and 2017 capped-off the campaign’s achievements.
Throughout the process, it was a privilege to witness Andy’s inclusive leadership style as he negotiated the challenges of directing a diverse team undertaking a complex project.
—Kass Yaneev Forman
Need to clarify and simplify your communications?
I help small- and medium-sized registered charities and non-profits align their comms with their values, simiplify and de-stress their comms, and tell their impact stories.
