If you’ve been awarded funding from the California Energy Commission (CEC)—congratulations! Your work is very important, and the CEC would like to be your partner in telling the story of how you’re helping California achieve a 100 percent clean energy future.
A notice of proposed award is only a notice and not formal action by CEC. Please do not announce your award until it has final approval, which often requires a vote at a CEC business meeting.
As the CEC works toward the final approval, we encourage you to start planning for your communications outreach. This can help increase recognition—in your field and beyond—for your work and your organization, attract future funding and interest from policymakers, connect you with your community, and expand your impact.
Typical communications opportunities include:
- Approval of your award by the commissioners
- Groundbreaking
- First prototype
- First customer/open doors
- Awards or special mentions in the media
- Sales goals/company-specific benchmarks
- Completion of project/final report publication/next stage of development
Funding agreement documents will spell out any promotional obligations.
Generally, in outreach and public-facing materials (such as news releases, media advisories, printed collateral, event invitations and project/program websites) please describe your award as “funding from the California Energy Commission.” Additionally, please acknowledge the individual fund or project name, when possible. Information about how your company should refer to its specific funding is in the project agreement.
For any media or publicity-related coordination, contact your assigned contract agreement manager or division liaison. The CEC looks forward to working with you!
Please explore the following accordions for more ideas on communications and publicity strategies and opportunities.
Sending a press release is a great way to reach a wider audience.
Share your draft press release with your contract agreement manager or division liaison for a complimentary review. They can also facilitate any requests for a quotation from CEC leaders for media advisories or news releases. Please provide at least two weeks before the scheduled posting date. Send the final releases, and project/event photos or video to us so we may help amplify through our social media channels, and for use in program materials like fact sheets or annual reports.
Please include the following in your release:
About the California Energy Commission
The California Energy Commission is the state's primary energy policy and planning agency. It has seven core responsibilities: advancing state energy policy, encouraging energy efficiency, certifying power plants, investing in energy innovation, developing renewable energy, transforming transportation, and preparing for energy emergencies.
Media Outlets
To reach the broadest audience, put together a list of possible media outlets (such as relevant websites and bloggers in your field, news and wire services, and local newspapers, radio stations and television stations). Below, we’ve listed some media outlets that have covered CEC issues. Taking the time to develop a targeted media list that includes the trade press covering your industry and your region is important for the most beneficial coverage of your work.
- Associated Press
- Bakersfield Californian
- Bloomberg/Bloomberg Green
- Business Journal (Sacramento, LA, etc.)
- California Energy Markets/NewsData
- CalMatters
- Canary Media
- E&E News
- Fox Business News
- Fresno Bee
- Grist
- Inside CalEPA
- LA Times
- New Project Media
- Politico
- Recharge News
- Reuters
- S&P Global
- Sacramento Bee
- San Diego Union-Tribune
- San Francisco Chronicle
- Utility Dive
- Wired
Contact your assigned contract agreement manager or division liaison about related press events you’re planning to host at least two months before the proposed date, or as soon as possible. If you’re interested in an appearance by a commissioner or other representative of the CEC (schedule permitting), please include that in your request.
The CEC’s Media and Public Communications Office helps tell the stories of how the CEC invests in California by producing a range of communications materials, including blogs, press releases, videos, and social media.
Send project or event photos, videos and social media posts for amplification and future use to: mediaoffice@energy.ca.gov or tag us for easy sharing. Here’s how to find the CEC on social media:
Work with your contract agreement manager to decide how the CEC might best be able to co-promote your project through our outreach platforms, including social media. This will help ensure photography and other promotional materials sent to the CEC reach the appropriate person for use.
Photos and video can play a vital role in illustrating your project’s story for your audience—in press releases, social media, and other promotions. While many publicity photos feature posed ribbon-cuttings or straightforward product shots of boxes, here are some tips to help your imagery and videos stand out:
- Provide a sense of scale through candid, unposed photos at the demonstration site
- Highlight the project’s innovation by including key personnel working on and talking about the project
- Show the people who benefit from your project, when possible
- Show pre- and post-technology installation and before-and-after progress at the project site(s)
- Include signage with your company logo and the CEC seal in the photos as part of your branding
- Shoot pictures in both portrait and landscape for more design flexibility
If you submit photos and videos to the CEC for use in press materials or on our website, you acknowledge that you grant the CEC the rights to use such photos and images of all people included in the pictures.
Technical requirements for images:
- Submit high-resolution digital photographs in either JPG or PNG format that are at least 300 DPI.
- Submit portrait and landscape examples.
Please include the following for each image:
- Figure title: A brief title summarizing the image (generally fewer than seven words).
- Descriptive caption: One sentence describing the photo and additional context not shown. (140 characters or less) .
- Photo credit: Include the photographer’s name for attribution.
- Alternative (alt) text: One descriptive sentence to convey visual information in the photograph to people with disabilities. Learn more about alt text tips on World Wide Web Consortium (W3C).
- Contact name, email address, and phone number in case we have questions.
- Your company web address.
Video:
Videos can engage audiences quickly and leave a lasting impression. They provide a compelling vehicle to tell your story. Videos should:
- Show and describe how your clean energy work is innovative and exciting.
- Show and describe how Californians are benefitting or will benefit from your research, technology, and/or product.
- State how CEC funding was vital in advancing the project.
- Capture personal testimonials from potential end-use customers or partners on the value of the project.
- Capture “b-roll” footage to be used in the finished product.
Length and Format:
- Stabilize the shot by using a tripod or monopod.
- Use a digital SLR or newer mobile phone with HD or 4K video for best results.
- Submit your video to the CEC as an MP4 or MOV file (1080p HD resolution is preferred).
- Use a microphone (wireless lavalier or corded) for a clear audio track.
- Upload video files to WeTransfer or Google Drive and share with mediaoffice@energy.ca.gov to avoid email size limitations.
The CEC logo may be added on project-related items to indicate funding source, but never to suggest endorsement, favor, or recommendation of any product or service.
Submit a Logo Permission Request to request a high-resolution version of the CEC logo and information on its usage.
Contact: For any media or publicity-related coordination, content submissions or questions, contact your assigned contract agreement manager or division liaison.