PR for Battery Energy Storage

Learn how our research-driven messaging and educational design helped inform policy and counter misinformation to build public support for battery storage in Southern California.

Background: Cleantech San Diego’s Regional Role

Cleantech San Diego is a member-based business association that positions the greater San Diego region as a global leader in the cleantech economy. The organization fosters collaboration across the private, public and academic sectors, engages in advocacy to advance cleantech priorities, supports energy entrepreneurs through the Southern California Energy Innovation Network and promotes more equitable investment across the region.

Situation: Public Concern and Policy Risk

In late 2024, pressure was mounting at the local, county and state levels to implement siting restrictions for battery storage projects. These restrictions would have resulted in a de facto moratorium on new development.

Cleantech San Diego and its members needed to clearly communicate the safety and benefits of battery energy storage systems (BESS) to local lawmakers, business leaders and residents. The goal was to inform public understanding and influence policymaking with accurate, accessible and credible information.

Solution: Research-Led Education and Design

Cleantech San Diego engaged California PR agency (W)right On Communications to lead an education and outreach program centered on original research and evidence-based messaging. The program featured a robust public opinion survey that we supported with carefully researched and relevant safety, environmental and grid reliability data.

Specifically, we:

  • Designed and fielded a statistically valid public opinion survey measuring attitudes toward clean energy and battery storage

  • Developed clear, fact-based messaging grounded in BESS safety, environmental performance and grid reliability data

  • Translated complex findings into simple, accessible outreach materials for policymakers, business leaders and the public

  • Created a cohesive, easy-to-follow branded look and feel to ensure clarity, credibility and consistency across all materials

Results: Shifting the Narrative on BESS Safety

(W)right On Communications paired evidence-based messaging about BESS reliability, clean air benefits, fire safety and economic stability with powerful public opinion survey results to produce a compelling, factual counter-narrative to vocal opposition to battery energy storage projects in San Diego County. Impact to date includes:

  • Measurable public support for clean energy and battery storage across San Diego County, including:
    • Clean energy (65%)
    • Battery storage (67%)
    • Battery energy storage systems in respondents’ own neighborhoods (57%)
  • Policy influence and uptake. Elected officials who cared about grid resilience expressed appreciation for the data and indicated it would be incorporated into their public remarks following Cleantech San Diego group and one-to-one presentations.
  • Briefings and presentations. Cleantech San Diego was invited to present the data to influential regional decision-making and business bodies, including:
    • San Diego Community Power board of directors
    • San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce policy committee
    • North County Chamber of Commerce board of directors
    • Clean Energy Alliance board of directors
    • SDG&E leadership team
  • Earned media and industry visibility. Findings were shared in the news and conference speaking opportunities:
  • Ongoing advocacy. Survey results and messaging continue to be referenced in public comments made in support of regional BESS projects, including projects that have recently advanced.

The engagement continues as local and county policy discussions evolve, with Cleantech San Diego and its partners equipped with trusted research and communications tools to support informed decision-making around grid resilience and clean energy deployment.

65% of San Diegans support the transition from fossil fuel to renewable energy

66% of San Diegans support battery storage projects in San Diego County.

57% of County Residents support battery storage projects in their neighborhood.

“We’re impressed by (W)right On Communication’s deep well of understanding of the energy industry, especially in San Diego, where our audiences are based. We feel fortunate to have them as experts in our corner and hope to always work with them!”

Shannon Bresnahan Vice President, Cleantech San Diego
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Julie Wright

President + Founder

Julie Wright is President of (W)right On Communications, Inc., the award-winning integrated strategic communications firm she founded in 1998. With offices in San Diego, Los Angeles and Vancouver, B.C., her team handles complex communications challenges for B2B tech, cleantech and energy, healthcare, tourism and hospitality, not-for-profit and public sector organizations. Wright and her team elevate the agency experience through data-driven insights and measurable results for client partners.

Earlier in her career, Wright served at several public relations agencies and in-house as Director of Marketing for a financial institution. She began her career as a journalist, working as a radio news anchor.

Wright currently serves as a director and past chair of the San Diego North Economic Development Council and a director of CalTravel. Her previous community service has included director of the Los Angeles chapter of the International Association of Business Communicators, board vice president of the La Jolla Village Merchants Association, trustee for the Tri-City Hospital Foundation and chair of the President’s Advisory Council for California State University San Marcos.

Wright was named a “Woman Who Means Business” by the San Diego Business Journal and a “40 Under 40” honoree by the San Diego Metropolitan magazine. She was also recognized with the annual Fran Aleshire Award for community leadership by Leadership North County and founded the LNC Alumni group, which is now 400 strong. Julie was named IABC San Diego’s Communicator of the Year in 2025.

In 2025, Wright received San Diego Press Club’s Andy Mace Award for outstanding public relations and the Communicator of the Year award from IABC San Diego. She has also been named a “Woman Who Means Business” by the San Diego Business Journal and one of “San Diego’s Best Marketing Executives” plus a “40 Under 40” honoree by the San Diego Metropolitan magazine. She was also recognized with the annual Fran Aleshire Award for community leadership by Leadership North County and founded the LNC Alumni group, which is now 400 strong.

Wright holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of B.C. and a Master of Journalism degree from the Graduate School of Journalism at the University of Western Ontario. She is a graduate of the Leadership North County program as well as the Corporate Directors Forum Governance Academy.

She lives in San Diego with her husband, has two sons in college, loves being outdoors in Southern California and Vancouver, and has a passion for elephants, frogs and Champagne.

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Roman Luck

Motion Graphics + Video Specialist

Roman is an accomplished video production specialist with over 15 years of experience contributing to various corporate and commercial video projects. Throughout his career he successfully completed jobs for some of the world’s most recognized brands including Amazon, Nike, UCLA, Airbnb, HP, US Navy, and T-Mobile, with some videos reaching millions of online views.

Roman’s expertise covers every stage of production—from pre-production planning and professional on-set cinematography to post-production, including video editing and motion graphics design. His portfolio spans diverse video formats, from corporate training and recruitment films to commercial documentary, testimonials, and animated explainers, delivering high-quality visual storytelling that engages audiences and achieves business goals.

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Tatiana Martinez

Hispanic Media + Outreach Specialist

Tatiana Martinez leads Spanish-language media outreach and community relations efforts for the agency and its client partners. She acts as a spokesperson for Spanish-language media and business or community group outreach. Tatiana has provided translations, Spanish voiceovers and strategies for reaching Spanish-speaking stakeholders. A former journalist for Mexican and American media outlets, Tatiana has a journalism degree from the University of Arizona and communications degree from Mexico’s Universidad Autonoma de Guadalajara.

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Phelan Riessen

Lead Developer + Technical Resource

Phelan Riessen is a passionate web and graphic design artist with over 25 years of experience designing and building more than 60 websites for a variety of organizations. Skilled in fontography, web design, Photoshop and web marketing strategies; Phelan also holds a strong presence in the San Diego tech community by serving as an organizer of several large-scale events including RefreshSD, March Mingle and Startup Week.

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Mindy Wright

Senior Communications Strategist

Mindy provides (W)right On client partners more than 10 years of experience in internal and external communications, media relations, content development, campaign and crisis leadership, fundraising support, social media, strategic planning and stakeholder engagement. She is a LEAD San Diego Impact Leadership Program Graduate; healthcare communications and marketing campaign platinum award winner from MAR-COM Awards; and recipient of a silver award for crisis and executive communications from the San Diego/Imperial County chapter of PRSA.

A native San Diego resident, Mindy holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in International Security and Conflict Resolution from San Diego State University.

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Marsha Kelly

Tribal Media + Outreach Specialist

Marsha Kelly has dedicated her career to assisting American Indian tribal communities and businesses with strategies to diversify their economies through wind farms, solar arrays, EV charging infrastructure and other initiatives. Her tribal relationships include the Mesa Grande Band of Mission Indians and the Minnesota Indian Gaming Association with consulting to other tribes across California, Michigan, New Mexico, North and South Dakota and Wisconsin. She holds a Bachelor of Science in English and Communications from the University of Minnesota.

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Larry Smalheiser

Vice President, B2B & Tech

Larry is a senior strategic communications advisor who helps organizations build credibility, manage complexity, and translate visibility into business impact. With more than 20 years of in-house, agency and independent experience, he partners with executive teams to strengthen reputation, support growth, and navigate moments where trust and judgment matter most.

His background spans global B2B and B2C organizations, from established leaders to emerging innovators. Larry has built and led cross-functional communications efforts for brands including Sony, Dell, VMware, RSA, Xerox, Virgin Galactic, Underwriters Laboratories, and high-growth technology companies across security, cloud and enterprise software. His work consistently sits at the intersection of communications strategy, sales enablement, and executive leadership.

Most recently, Larry served as Public Relations and Analyst Relations Lead for Sony Electronics, working closely with the North America President & COO and global teams. In that role, he helped shape corporate narrative, engage influential analysts and media, and ensure alignment between business priorities and external perception across a highly complex, matrixed organization.

Larry is known for bringing a steady, practical point of view to communications challenges — whether advising leaders on thought leadership, managing brand visibility in competitive markets, or guiding teams through high-stakes initiatives. He is a two-time PRSA Silver Anvil Award recipient and regularly mentors business and community organizations.

He holds a master’s degree, is fluent in Japanese and Spanish, and is based in San Diego.

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Katrina Early


Media Integration Specialist

Formerly with VisitBritain and Showtime Networks, Katrina Early provides (W)right On client partners’ integrated and creative partnerships with film and TV studios, retailers, and media outlets such as Sony Pictures, Universal, Warner Brothers, The Ellen DeGeneres Show and Entertainment Tonight to name a few. Experienced in the hospitality, travel, entertainment industries among others, Katrina coordinates all aspects of B2B industry events, as well as grows client partners’ audience social media engagement through highly sharable digital content. Results achieved include positive media placement in top tier outlets including National Geographic, Robb Report, Forbes, USA Today, LA Times, NBC/Today Show, E! News, Extra, The Tonight Show, People and many others.

Katrina holds a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism & Public Relations from CSU Long Beach and a Master of Arts in Communications from the prestigious University of Southern California Annenberg School of Communication.

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Justin Beach

Web Developer + Technical Resource

Justin Beach brings over 25 years of expertise in web development, programming and technical support to his role at (W)right On Communications. As the agency’s Web Developer and Technical Resource, Justin ensures our client partners’ digital platforms are optimized for success and deliver seamless functionality and a compelling user experience.

Justin’s career spans leadership and entrepreneurial roles with experience building corporate websites, e-commerce platforms and electronic marketing campaigns for a diverse client base. His technical fluency extends across PHP, ASP, MySQL, CSS, JS and multiple database architectures.

Previously, Justin supported strategic SEO campaigns at Myers Media Group, creating platforms responsible for deploying over a million search-optimized web pages. He also led the development of an online shopping platform for Kodak subsidiary ENCAD, Inc., driving e-commerce growth through sophisticated web solutions and marketing integrations.

From guiding print marketing clients into the digital age to deploying hundreds of websites across various frameworks, Justin’s ability to blend design and technical expertise has benefited industries ranging from finance and bioscience to wellness and nonprofit organizations.

At (W)right On Communications, Justin’s creative problem-solving, deep technical know-how and passion for excellence power our clients’ digital strategies, elevating their brands in the digital space.

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Hamish Marshall

Director, Research + Analytics WOC Intelligence

As Director of Research & Analytics based out of (W)right On’s Vancouver office, Hamish leads (W)right On’s survey and stakeholder information gathering initiatives North America-wide. A former advisor to the Prime Minister of Canada, Provincial Premiers, City Mayors and dozens of elected officials, he also served in the government of Canada overseeing the quantitative and qualitative research activities of federal government agencies. With experience using every sort of data collection method to provide critical insights for strategic planning, marketing and other organizational activities, Hamish has worked with dozens of private and public sector client partners, including the world’s largest mining company. In 2004 he worked in radio business development in Kabul, Afghanistan, and he has volunteered in democracy-building activities in Bangladesh and Jordan. Today, Hamish is frequently sought out by the media as an expert commentator for national television, radio and print publications. Prior to joining (W)right On, Hamish worked as the Research Director for Angus Reid Public Opinion, conducting and performing analysis on surveys in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom.

He holds a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Oxford in England, a Bachelor of Arts (Honors) degree from the University of Toronto and enjoys history, writing and sailing.

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Grant Wright

CEO & Managing Partner

Grant Wright has more than 30 years of senior management experience including external affairs and business development leadership roles for major American and Canadian corporations and their subsidiaries. With extensive skills in all aspects of communications including media, regulatory, governmental, community outreach and labor relations; he has also led major infrastructure project development, M&A due diligence and implementation management, marketing and brand development, strategic planning and business plan development for small through Fortune 500 companies.

As CEO and Managing Partner, Grant provides oversight and senior-level communications and business counsel for the agency’s client partners while also overseeing agency management and administration.

Grant holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology and an MBA in Marketing and Finance. Professionally, he is formerly a Board Director of the San Diego Venture Group (now Connect San Diego – the region’s venture capital ecosystem). Grant is a two-time Finalist for the San Diego Business Journal’s Most Admired CEO Awards, and currently is in his second year as Chair of the North American chapter of the International PR Network (IPRN) based in Brussels, Belgium. He is also one of five board directors chosen by its worldwide membership for a second year to lead IPRN globally. A resident of and advocate for San Diego, and with (W)right On being a prominent tenant in San Diego’s iconic Emerald Plaza, Grant also serves on the board of directors of the Downtown San Diego Partnership.

During his free time, Grant enjoys scuba diving, hiking and family time. He is also a commercial pilot licensed in both Canada and the U.S. and is the founding board chairman of the Southern California Aviation Association that has provided more than $500,000 in student scholarship grants since the organization’s inception.

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David Cumpston

Associate Vice President, Lifestyle & Hospitality

David brings more than two decades of strategic communications leadership to (W)right On Communications, advising client partners in hospitality, tourism, senior living, wellness and education on how to earn attention and build trust in competitive, high-visibility markets. As a senior leader, he serves as a counselor to organizations navigating growth, scrutiny and change.

His work spans brand-building, reputation management and integrated campaigns for organizations including JP Morgan Chase, Oakmont Management Group, Episcopal Communities & Services, Aramark, the San Diego Tourism Marketing District (SDTMD), Visit Napa Valley, Visit Modesto, Stanford Children’s Hospital, Walmart, SEGA, Best Western and Orbitz.

Known for pairing sharp strategic judgment with creative problem-solving, David helps cut through noise with communications that are both disciplined and differentiated. His ability to respond quickly under pressure has earned him two Bulldog Media Awards for Best Response to Breaking News. He holds a bachelor’s degree in mass communication from Texas State University and is a certified member of the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC).

A lifelong global traveler, David brings a global perspective and deep appreciation for culture and context to his work. When he’s not advising clients, he’s likely exploring a new destination or spending time with his Chiweenie mix, Dora.

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Danielle Crebbin

Senior Graphic Designer

With a proven track record of success and more than 10 years of design and marketing experience, Danielle Crebbin optimizes design workflows to ensure consistent brand identity while overseeing a wide range of creative services from concept development, through to delivery of final designs and artwork. Prior to joining the (W)right On Communications team, Danielle worked for various creative agencies and on a wide range of freelance projects for clients in the Caribbean, the U.K. and European Union. Most recently, she oversaw creative localization for Dyson’s Central European and Emerging Markets.

Danielle’s capabilities include content creation, marketing pieces, animations, websites, print collateral, motion graphics and more, all with a strong foundation in visual storytelling.

Danielle holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Visual Arts & Graphic Design degree from Barbados Community College, a Master of Science in International Creative Advertising degree from Manchester Metropolitan University, and embraces emerging technologies in the creative services field.

Danielle has lived and worked in the Caribbean, U.K., and Austria and loves living in San Diego and exploring Southern California with her husband.

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Claudia Askew, APR

Senior Communications Strategist

Claudia Askew, APR is based in Washington, D.C. and draws on her 30 years of experience in strategic communications to serve client partners in the energy, cleantech and B2B sectors. She led marketing and PR planning for the NeighborWorks America program for eight years helping low-income residents in all 50 states access down payment assistance through the Neighborhood LIFT program. She has a long history of volunteerism helping underserved youth and low-income women, and holds a Bachelor of Arts in Speech Communication from Wake Forest University and her Accredited in PR (APR) designation from the Public Relations Society of America.

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Brian Wright

Communications Program Analyst

Responsible for communication programs research and analysis, Brian provides administrative and functional support to the agency’s program leads as well as senior management. With experience managing a retail store in the complex pool supply industry, Brian is a key contributor for social media programs, media relations, content development, vendor management, software programs oversight and other critical program aspects. He brings an innate sense of the agency’s GSD attitude to help ensure the agency remains at the industry forefront.

Brian holds a Bachelor of Economics degree from the University of Victoria in British Columbia, is an FAA-licensed Private Pilot, and is an accomplished musician and music producer in his spare time.

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Andrea Saxenhofer

Senior Communications Strategist

Andrea brings more than ten years of strategic communications experience, with a strong focus on energy, B2B and tech. Most recently based in San Diego, she has worked as a freelance communications consultant supporting numerous energy infrastructure projects across the country through community outreach, corporate and sustainability communications, and digital content creation. Prior to this, Andrea led comprehensive internal and external communications initiatives at BKW Power Grid, Swiss Post and the State Executive Office in Switzerland.

She currently serves as Chair of Communications for the San Diego Chapter of WRISE (Women of Renewable Industries and Sustainable Energy).

Andrea holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and a Master of Arts in Public Management and Policy, as well as a Certificate of Advanced Studies in Political Communications from the Zurich University of Applied Sciences. She also earned a Digital Marketing Certificate from Columbia Business School and most recently completed the MITx Resolving Renewable Energy Siting Disputes course.

She is bilingual in English and German, fluent in Spanish, and proficient in French.

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