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PR giant @porternovelli has severed its contract with the American Public Gas Association (APGA) to promote natural gas and oppose electrification. @billmckibben's latest story explains how it happened. Thread on the history of Porter's work for APGA 1/x https://www.newyorker.com/news/daily-comment/when-creatives-turn-destructive-image-makers-and-the-climate-crisis
First some background: @APGA represents municipal gas utilities. This means it's essentially funded by public dollars. Why are gas utilities spending big on advertising to promote gas? Start with this story by @Sammy_Roth 2/x https://www.latimes.com/environment/story/2019-10-22/southern-california-gas-climate-change
It's not just SoCalGas - the entire gas utility industry is panicking over electrification, which is an existential threat to its business model. @emilyhholden's recent reporting surveys how gas utilities are responding to campaigns around the country. 3/x https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/aug/20/gas-industry-waging-war-against-climate-action?CMP=share_btn_tw
So what does the gas industry do when it's facing an existential threat created by the climate crisis? Obvious - hire social media influencers to convince you to buy gas stoves. @rebleber reports: https://www.motherjones.com/environment/2020/06/gas-industry-influencers-stoves/ 4/x
@APGA hired @porternovelli in 2017 to create a campaign that would eventually be called "Gas Genius." Other firms that submitted RFPs: @HKStrategies and @WeberShandwick (These and subsequent documents were obtained by public record requests.) 5/x
This is a good time highlight some of @APGA's funders by name - many include progressive cities with ambitious climate plans!
Philadelphia @PhiladelphiaGov (CC: @christinemknapp ), Palo Alto @cityofpaloalto
Charlottesville VA @CvilleCityHall
Richmond VA @cityofrichmond
7/x
Philadelphia @PhiladelphiaGov (CC: @christinemknapp ), Palo Alto @cityofpaloalto
Charlottesville VA @CvilleCityHall
Richmond VA @cityofrichmond
7/x
After a year of preparation and a couple hundred thousand dollars, @porternovelli and @APGA launch Gas Genius in the spring of 2019. 8/x
What came next was a lot of stock images! 9/x
Like a lot of stock images. 10/x
But in 2020 (of course), things got even more exciting. @porternovelli sold @APGA on the upgrade package. Influencers! APGA couldn't resist. 11/x
The budget figures are quite striking for the modest size of APGA. They likely spent at least $300k this year on Gas Genius via @porternovelli. And another $200k on a crisis PR firm ( @reservoircg) 12/x
Jumping to today: So @porternovelli made the right choice an ended its contract with APGA. That's commendable. But what's next? Will another PR firm pick up the contract for 2021? 13/x
By the way, Gas Genius is just one of the many campaigns set up to fight electrification on behalf of gas utilities. Here's some more examples: 14/x
SoCalGas hired PR firm @ImprentaComm to create Californians for Balanced Energy Solutions (C4BES). Check out this wild story about Imprenta by @ColbyBermel https://www.politico.com/states/california/story/2020/09/24/how-socalgas-leveraged-mayors-and-minority-groups-to-score-a-fossil-fuel-win-1304131 15/x
And @kavya_balaraman recently wrote about a letter from @SenFeinstein and @RepBarragan to SoCalGas demanding an explanation for its climate obstruction 16/x https://www.utilitydive.com/news/california-federal-legislators-press-socalgas-on-reported-efforts-to-under/588174/
A bunch of gas utilities in the Northwest hired PR firm @QuinnThomasPR to run a campaign called Partnership for Energy Progress. @hbernton and @DBeekman broke the story last year: https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/natural-gas-industrys-1-million-pr-campaign-sets-up-fight-over-northwests-energy-future/ 17/x
