CASE STUDY
Power New Mexico
Passing historic legislation
Situation: A surge of citizen engagement has thrown utilities into uncharted waters where they must now ask themselves: How can we effectively engage with these new, highly-active stakeholder groups to avoid hostile regulatory environments, expensive setbacks to our new energy projects and irreversible damage to our brand? Finding answers to these questions is urgent because the cost of the alternatives, that is, either taking no action or a combative stance, is multi-millions for an arsenal of PR crisis management, lobbying, attorneys, environmental communications, consultant fees, and more.

Our Approach: This was the case for years for PNM, New Mexico’s largest electricity company. Until it stepped out of its “comfort zone,” as CEO, Pat Vincent-Collawn put it, and executed a tangible, ground-breaking collaborative model where instead of fighting environmentalists, they joined forces with them, along with community and tribal leaders, launching New Mexico to the forefront of clean energy in the U.S.

Mind Over Markets played an influential role in this statewide win through collaborative marketing and authentic stakeholder engagement which included:
  • In-depth video insight interviews with key environmentalists, government officials and tribal and community leaders.
  • In-house PNM training, “Understanding the Heart and Mind of the Environmental Advocate”, designed and facilitated by Carolyn Parrs.
  • Ongoing “one-on-ones” with environmental advocates to share ideas, air grievances, and find effective ways to work together on behalf of New Mexico.
  • Design of “We’re all in this together” campaign.
  • Social media listening and sharing with and for key environmental groups.

 

Impact: Working in unison, these efforts broke new ground for PNM with environmental activists, legislators and tribal and community leaders and made history. PNM became the third utility in the country to pass the Environmental Transition Act (ETA) historic legislation resulting in its commitment to 100% carbon-free emissions by 2040.