Communicating with communities in 2026: Exploring new ways to engage stakeholders in a meaningful way about energy developments in their area – Pier (Pier Marketing Limited)
Company Information:
Pier is a dynamic and award-winning communications agency. Headquartered in East Anglia, our expert team helps clients across the UK tell their story through polished and captivating communications.
We’re a friendly team who are passionate about what we do.
We deliver a range of services:
-Strategy and campaign development,
-PR & media relations,
-Stakeholder relations,
-Content creation,
-Social media
Project Overview
Pier (Pier Marketing Limited) is a communications agency based in Suffolk that delivers stakeholder relations, PR, and content services for clients in the renewable energy sector.
A key part of Pier’s work is stakeholder relations for large-scale renewable energy developments, such as solar farms and offshore wind farms. For these projects to gain planning consent, developers must consult with local communities, councils, and other stakeholders as part of the Development Consent Order (DCO) process.
In late 2025, the Government introduced the Planning and Infrastructure Bill, which changes how developers are required to consult with communities. As this is a new change in law and open to interpretation, Pier wants to understand how the renewables industry is responding and what best practice consultation might look like going forward.
This project focuses on researching consultation approaches used since the law changed and identifying what Pier should recommend to future clients.
Project Aim
To research how community consultations for renewable energy developments are being delivered following changes introduced by the Planning and Infrastructure Bill, and to develop evidence-based recommendations for best practice stakeholder engagement.
Key Research Questions
• What renewable energy consultations have taken place since the law changed?
• Are developers changing how they engage with communities, or continuing with previous approaches?
• Are there examples of more creative or innovative consultation methods?
• How cautious or experimental are developers being under the new rules?
• What should Pier recommend as best practice for future consultations?
• How can the success of consultations be measured?
What You Will Do
• Carry out desk-based research into renewable energy consultations delivered since the law changed
• Review consultation materials, events, and engagement approaches used by developers
• Interview senior members of the Pier team to understand industry context and expectations
• Take part in brainstorming sessions to explore future consultation ideas
• Attend consultation or engagement events, if timings allow
• Organise findings clearly and identify themes and trends
• Develop ideas and recommendations for future stakeholder engagement strategies
Science, Engineering and Technical Understanding
• Understanding how energy infrastructure projects progress through the planning process
• Learning how stakeholder consultation supports renewable energy development
• Applying structured research and analysis methods
• Evaluating different engagement approaches and their effectiveness
• Supporting evidence-based recommendations in the energy sector
Planning and Organisation
• Break the project into clear stages (research, interviews, analysis, idea development, reporting)
• Keep organised records of sources and interviews
• Manage time across multiple tasks and activities
• Use evidence to support conclusions and recommendations
• Take part in regular check-ins with a line manager
Skills Developed
• Project management
• Research and data analysis
• Organisation and administration
• Communication
• Sales and marketing awareness
Final Outputs
• A report, in a format agreed with Pier, explaining:
– What research was undertaken
– What consultation approaches were identified
– Key learnings from the research
– Ideas for communicating with communities impacted by energy developments
• Clear recommendations for best practice consultation strategies
• Evidence that can be used by Pier to advise future clients
Reflection and Evaluation
Your report will include:
• What you learned about community consultation and renewable energy projects
• What approaches appeared most effective and why
• Challenges encountered during the research
• How confident you are in the recommendations and why
• What you would explore further if the project continued
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