Energy Systems Communication Guide
Energy Systems Communication Guide
Energy system terminology varies widely across contexts and audiences. People working on the same issue often operate from entirely different parameters, language, and scope, and the result is that decisions proceed on incomplete information.
The Energy Systems Communication Guide (ESCG) distills peer-reviewed and open-source research to deliver precise, science-based terminology across the full energy system lifecycle, from fuel extraction and transport through combustion and waste management. Every source is compiled and publicly accessible in the works cited at the end of the guidebook.
The ESCG covers three areas:
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Part I: Foundation and Principles The Terminology Reference introduces 19 original, science-based additions to commonly used energy terms, including energy transition, greenhouse gases, net zero, and sustainable energy. In doing so, the guidebook creates a baseline starting point applicable to different professions and contexts.
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Part II: Documented Outputs From particulate matter and methane to infrastructure leaks, induced seismic activity, odor, and waste storage, this section distills scientific consensus on 21 substances, outputs, and impacts that result from energy production. Every entry is presented clearly and ready to apply.
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Part III: Recognizing and Evaluating Energy Claims This section provides tools for understanding how energy terminology functions in real documents, proposals, and public communications. Covering 25 concepts including avoided emissions, baseload and dispatchable energy terminology, biogenic carbon, carbon capture and storage, chemical recycling, greenhouse gas accounting, hydrogen combustion, and waste to energy, each entry explains how terms are typically used and how they function in technical and regulatory contexts. Organized to be useful at any level of technical familiarity.
Anyone developing or responding to grant applications, policy documents, requests for proposals, or public communications will find it immediately useful. So will those preparing for public meetings, hearings, or regulatory testimony, working on stakeholder engagement and outreach, or trying to understand precisely what a document, proposal, or claim actually says.
Available as an ePDF for $30 USD. You will receive your download link by email upon payment.
Purchase your copy today.
Complete the form below. You will receive your download link by email immediately upon payment. Questions? Reach out at admin@gridequity.org.
Energy Systems Communication Guidance Sessions
All engagements are virtual first and open to organizations across the United States and internationally, which means geography is rarely a barrier. Whether you are working through a specific challenge, preparing for a public process, or trying to apply the guide directly to your work, there is a way to engage that fits your needs. Every engagement begins with a short intake form that helps us understand your specific needs, expertise, and availability so we can ensure the right fit for your organization.
Pricing is determined through the intake process and reflects your organization's capacity and context. If budget is a concern, please reach out anyway. We work with a wide range of organizations, including those with limited resources, and we want to find a way to make this work.
Consultation Call
Whether you are working through a specific section of the ESCG, trying to understand how a term applies in your situation, or navigating a question that requires expert clarification, a one-hour virtual session gives up to three participants direct access to that guidance. Whether you are a community advocate, policy staff, legal team, utility professional, or community action agency, if you are working through a specific document, proposal, or claim, this session was built for that moment. Additional sessions are available upon request.
Private Working Session
For teams and organizations working through a specific issue, challenge, or situation, a private working session applies the ESCG frameworks directly to your context and needs. You bring your work and your questions. We bring the expertise to apply the guidebook to your specific situation. Not reading from it. Actively using it. Sessions run two hours, welcome up to five participants, and work equally well for community organizations, advocacy teams, legal and policy staff, government agencies, utilities, and community action agencies. Every session is built around your work, not a predetermined agenda.
Group and Organizational Engagements
For organizations, agencies, and events that need greater scale, you get the same depth of expertise delivered to a broader audience. Current engagements include community meetings, public hearings, team and departmental training, agency and committee briefings, board meetings, conference presentations, and keynote addresses. Every session is grounded in the same peer-reviewed and open-source research and original expertise as our smaller engagements. You get the author in the room, not a slide deck someone else prepared. We are also exploring how to make our engagements available for continuing education credit and will share updates as that develops. All larger engagements are scoped through the intake process.
Get in Touch
Every engagement begins with a short intake form that helps us understand your specific needs, expertise, and availability. After you submit the form we will follow up within 24 to 48 hours to discuss next steps. Engagements are scheduled on a rolling basis, so we encourage you to reach out early. If you are looking for ongoing support or something that does not fit neatly into the options above, please reach out through the intake form and we are happy to discuss what that might look like. No organization should self-select out before reaching out. All organizations are encouraged to get in touch.