CHARGE North America – Powering the Transition: Views from the Frontline

Last week at CHARGE North America, I had the privilege of joining a panel titled ‘Powering the Transition: Views from the Frontline’. The panel was moderated by Rik Hallam, Managing Partner, Go To Market at Brandpie, and I was joined in the discussion by Diana Castellanos, Head of Marketing and Communication at Atlas Renewable Energy, and Christine McGee, Head of Communications, North America at Siemens Energy.

The discussion reinforced a simple truth: The energy transition is unfolding in real time across markets, it’s not just theory. Local policies, regulation, market dynamics and communities are all playing an important role in shaping outcomes. With different markets facing unique challenges and moving at varied paces, global energy brands have to grapple with how far they go to adapt and localise their offerings to meet customers where they are on their decarbonisation journey.  

A Global Transition, Lived Locally

A key theme that underpinned discussions in the panel was that transition looks different everywhere.

For Diana, Atlas Renewable Energy operates across Latin America, which means it’s navigating regulatory complexity across markets in the region and widespread infrastructure constraints. At the front line of operating across emerging markets, creating awareness about the importance of clear regulatory frameworks for the introduction of new technology remains top priority to enable the energy transition.

While Christine at Siemens Energy shared how shifting energy demands in the United States, particularly driven by AI and data centers has required Siemens Energy to rebalance its narrative. Highlighting their plans to invest $1bn in US grid and gas turbines to support US market growth, Siemens has been aligning its local narrative with key local priorities, and resultantly secured engagement from the White House on social channels. However, more broadly the company remains committed to long-term decarbonisation goals globally.

Speaking to our experience at SmartestEnergy, having extended our business operations from the UK to the EU, US and Australia, I explained how our top-level narrative has been established to flex across all markets, and acknowledge the complexities and realities of the decarbonisation journeys our customers are on. Our product offerings reflect this and enable retail customers to transact the amount and type of renewables that’s right for them.

Trust and Transparency as the Constant

No matter the market, trust and transparency continue to anchor our approach.

In the United States, where renewable adoption can be more commercially driven, our focus has been on becoming a long-term partner in the transition. That means meeting customers where they are today and driving conversations around what is possible tomorrow.

I called out the progress we’ve made in the UK helping C&I customers to address the complexity of renewable energy procurement through our ‘traceable renewable supply’ product that allows businesses to understand, engage and report on their ‘carbon free energy score’, which is representative of their supply volumes being matched with generation types 24/7/365.

Rather than simply providing certificates, we can provide clarity and tailor energy contracts to better suit the needs of our customers. Customers can see how renewable generation aligns with their demand profile and receive a carbon free energy score that prompts the next question. How can we improve this together?

By embracing complexity instead of simplifying it, we strengthen credibility and build lasting relationships.

Choosing what to amplify

In a landscape filled with competing priorities such as AI, geopolitics, grid constraints and security of supply, communications leaders play an important role filtering the latest news and trends, and ultimately deciding what to amplify through their owned, earned and paid media channels.

For us, that means developing clear points of view rooted in customer needs and business strategy. We focus on topics where we can add genuine value, whether that is AI as a driver of customer experience,,  or renewable energy procurement as a pathway to long-term resilience.

Not every trend requires amplification. Strategic clarity often means being deliberate about where we invest our voice and energy.

The Role of Communications in the Transition

One of my biggest takeaways from the panel is that communications does not sit on the sidelines of the transition. It actively shapes it.

Our role is to align global stakeholders, bridge cultural differences, translate strategy into storytelling, and ensure that what we say reflects what we do.

Powering the transition requires a balance across fuels, across markets and across narratives. As communicators, our responsibility is to make that complexity understandable, grounded and credible.

Because powering the transition is not just about energy systems. It is about earning trust, one conversation at a time.

A massive thank you to CPS Energy for hosting the event, CHARGE and Brandpie for shaping such an interesting event and packed agenda Rik for hosting the panel I was on and Diana and Christine for the great discussion.