KAOH media

05/11/2026

At the 2026 US Power & Data Center Forum, there was no shortage of discussion around load growth, siting pressure, transmission constraints, and the speed at which power demand is reshaping the development landscape. But just as important were the side conversations with other attendees - developers, operators, advisors, and stakeholders all working through similar challenges.

Our week attending the conference was filled with great conversations about what it takes to move projects forward. Thanks to all who stopped by our booth and took the time to chat with us!

05/07/2026

Note: unity is a permitting strategy.

05/05/2026

When it comes to renewable energy development, it turns out there’s a cost to not doing business.

New research out of Ball State University’s Center for Business and Economic Research (CBER) found that Indiana counties with restrictions on wind and solar projects experienced an aggregate net GDP loss of $204 million, while their neighbors gained a net of $13 million.

If the promise of win-win outcomes were enough to guarantee a social license to operate, we wouldn’t see so many projects facing vocal, organized opposition. What makes the difference is earning a community’s trust – building it starts with listening to residents’ perspectives in earnest.

By Dr. Michael J. Hicks— MUNCIE, IN— A new policy brief from Ball State University’s Center for Business and Economic Research (CBER) examines how county-level restrictions on utility-scale wind and solar development in Indiana are associated with employment, gross domestic product, and local ...

05/01/2026

Engineering models can’t account for all areas of project risk.

When risk builds in the form of county meetings that fill up early, local reporters that start asking sharper questions, or elected officials who begin looking for room to retreat, projects hang in the balance.

This risk isn’t incidental. In complex land use issues, trust affects schedule certainty, financing confidence, and the entire permitting-to-approval lifecycle. A viable project can still lose momentum because the social license to operate was never sought with the same attention-to-detail as the requirements to build. Engineering models can’t account for all areas of project risk.

04/30/2026

In honor of , KAOH’s very own Dan Hanson highlights how he cares for the soil in his corner of Pittsburgh, PA.

04/27/2026

Those out-of-this-world headlines you’ve been seeing are powered by the sun.

Learn about the solar panels that have been used in space since 1958 and the new technologies being developed to power the equipment of tomorrow:

Human activities in space have been solar powered for more than 70 years. Now, as the space industry accelerates, new opportunities are emerging for specialized solar manufacturers, writes Jake Vel…

04/26/2026

Last summer, one of our clients sponsored a Casino Night at a Chamber of Commerce event in Texas. In addition to sponsoring the evening’s festivities, the developer team hosted a booth where attendees could pick up branded swag and informational materials about the company’s proposed project nearby.

By connecting with residents in a context not related to energy, the client was able to hold open-ended conversations with an audience that’s not primed to agree or disagree with the message, leading to more productive and civil conversations than may be encountered at a project-specific town hall or open house.

Participation in events like these is a critical part of a developer’s community engagement strategy, especially when seeking permits for large-scale projects. By building relationships, fostering trust, and increasing visibility within the community, developers can address questions, clarify project details, and demonstrate their dedication to local economic growth and sustainability.

If you want to sponsor an event like this for your project but feel lost on where to start, we’ve got your back. Reach out to KAOH today at kaohmedia.com.

04/24/2026

Kindness is often misread as softness, but here at KAOH, we believe the opposite. Kindness signals discipline, listening, and restraint, leading to engagement with communities before skepticism hardens.

We win permits through intelligence. And kindness is the highest form of intelligence.

If you’re ready to win, visit kaohmedia.com.

04/22/2026

This year’s theme – Our Power, Our Planet – points to a reality that project developers know well: the future of infrastructure is not shaped by technology alone.

It is shaped by whether projects can earn enough public trust to move through the permitting-to-approval lifecycle. Our Power, Our Planet is a useful Earth Day reminder that progress depends not only on what gets built, but on who joins us on the path to project completion.

04/15/2026

Ohio may be the headline, but the broader message is familiar in communities all over: the permitting process is only getting more difficult for developers to navigate. With it, they are navigating local legitimacy, narrative control, and the difference between a project being considered essential or controversial.

Regulators acknowledged the suspicious comments but deferred to local government opposition to Crossroads Solar, continuing what some see as unfair siting…