As RE+ kicked off America’s largest solar conference on September 8, Constance Thompson, president of WRISE (Women of Renewable Industries and Sustainable Energy), made the case during the “Deep Dive on Storytelling” session that the clean energy transition will stall without one essential ingredient: a compelling narrative.
“We are talking about people today,” she opened, reframing the often-technical workforce conversation into one rooted in human experience. For Thompson, who works at the intersection of business growth, community impact, and equity, storytelling is not fluff. It is the framework that connects technical complexity to emotional connection, turning presentations into partnerships and ideas into action.
People, Profit, Planet
Thompson anchored her session on three truths: clean energy is about people, it is about building sustainable businesses, and it is about saving the planet. She urged attendees to view workforce stories not as compliance exercises but as living narratives that can attract investment, build trust, and ensure long-term sustainability.
A Case Study in Listening
She illustrated her point with a solar developer who came into a rural community armed with polished pitches but failed to answer core local questions: How will this affect our businesses? What jobs will you bring? What will remain after you leave?
The project faltered until the developer partnered with a community college to guarantee jobs, created skills-training programs, and mapped out how local businesses could share in the benefits. By centering people, jobs, and sustainability, the developer turned skeptics into supporters.
Moving Beyond Buzzwords
Thompson also challenged attendees to rethink the language of equity. What if you cannot use words like diversity, equity, or inclusion? she asked. Alternatives flowed, including community, fairness, opportunity, work, connection and underserved. The lesson: words matter less than values, but companies must be willing to stand for something.
“Stand on something,” she said. “If you don’t stand for something, you’ll fall for everything.”
A Framework for Future Narratives
Through live polling, small-group discussions, and case study reflections, participants identified themes for workforce storytelling: creating pathways to prosperity, growing local talent, and building trust. Thompson pressed the audience to adopt a growth mindset: Ten years from now, what do you want this community to look like? How do you want your company to be remembered?
Turning Stories into Action
Thompson’s deep dive on storytelling underscored that narrative is not just an accessory to the clean energy transition; it is a driver.
“When you tell people they will have jobs, they will listen. When you tell them they will have dignity in their work, they will stay. And when you show them you care about the future of their communities and this planet, they will join you,” Thompson said.
The takeaway: clean energy leaders who master storytelling don’t just explain their projects. They earn the trust needed to move these critical clean energy projects forward.
—This blog post was contributed by Maverick PR.
