Citizens' Climate Lobby

Generative AI and Advocacy: Keeping Relationships at the Center

This training is an expansion of BRIDGE Training 5: The Advocacy Detective and examines how Generative AI can be used to move beyond surface-level searches to better understand your Member of Congress, district dynamics, committee priorities, and trusted messengers. It covers practical prompting techniques, how to spot and reduce hallucinations, and the importance of verifying outputs. It also briefly discusses how CCL approaches AI through the lens of clean, reliable energy. The throughline is that Generative AI is an additional tool option to support advocacy, but it is not a replacement for the relationships at the heart of CCL's work.

Skip ahead to the following section(s):
(0:00) Intro & Agenda
(4:21) AI Background
(10:50) Where AI Shines & Doesn't
(19:44) Your Voice & Authenticity
(27:17) Prompting Basics
(32:14) Wrapping Up

Presentation Slides: https://cclusa.org/ai-slides  
CCL Training Event: https://community.citizensclimate.org/events/item/24/21050  
Log Your Attendance: https://community.citizensclimate.org/log_training?sf_id=a5yUP000000H5svYAC  
Prompt Script: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1VWoWUcnC1DA-Tbw5qe8StqKNrI_5i8JsVsX8HL8dXmY/edit?usp=sharing 

CCL Training: Messaging for Impact (Permitting Reform Wrap-Up)

This final session in our permitting reform training series brings everything together with a focus on effective communication. We’ll recap key concepts across the major topics and highlight tailored messages that resonate with different audiences—including Republican and Democratic offices. Participants will learn how to confidently apply these messages to advance durable permitting solutions. 

Skip ahead to the following section(s):
(0:00) Intro & Agenda
(1:34) Effective Permitting Conversations
(4:10) Permitting Reform for Republicans
(16:44) Permitting Reform for Democrats
(30:13) Key Takeaways

Training Slides: https://cclusa.org/permitting-messages-slides  
Permitting Reform Trainings:  https://community.citizensclimate.org/topics/clean-energy-permitting-reform  
Log your training:  https://community.citizensclimate.org/log_training?sf_id=a5yUP000000GzqjYAC  

CCL Training: Advocacy Detective: Build Your Common Ground Blueprint (BRIDGE Training #5)

The Advocacy Detective is about becoming a more strategic, relational climate advocate by learning how to better understand the political world your Member of Congress operates within. Before we can effectively persuade, we first need to understand — their district, their pressures, their priorities, the language they use, and the communities they feel accountable to. In BRIDGE, we talk a lot about meeting people where they are. Tonight is about learning how to actually find where that is using practical research tools to understand your Member of Congress’s district realities, incentives, influencers, and language—so your outreach is specific, respectful, and strategically targeted.

Skip ahead to the following section(s):
(0:00) Intro & Agenda
(3:42) The Core Philosophy
(10:38) Step 1: Congress.gov — Committee Power
(16:42) Step 2: OpenSecrets.org — Donor Information
(20:21) Step 3: MOC's Official Website
(25:07) Step 4: Polling — Local Public Will
(28:46) Step 5: Targeted News Search
(34:36) Step 6: Cultural DNA of the District
(38:17) Looking Ahead

Tonight’s slides: https://cclusa.org/BRIDGE-5-Slides   
BRIDGE # 5 Training Page: https://community.citizensclimate.org/BRIDGE/Unit-2/Training-2  
Log Your Attendance: https://community.citizensclimate.org/log_training?sf_id=a5yUP000000EAcDYAW  

Shane Londagin | May 2026 National Monthly Meeting | Citizens Climate Lobby

This month, we're featuring Shane Londagin, Senior Policy Advisor for Energy and Climate for Sen. John Hickenlooper (CO), manages Senator Hickenlooper’s energy portfolio on the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee and supports the Senator’s leadership in bipartisan permitting reform negotiations, grid modernization efforts, and critical minerals policy. 

(0:00) Intro and National Highlights
(11:48) Local Highlights
(12:44) Interview with Shane Londagin, Senior Policy Advisor for Energy and Climate for Sen. John Hickenlooper (CO)
(39:40) May Action Sheet
(41:56) Take Action
(44:00) BRIDGE Exercise

Register for Summer Conference: https://cclusa.org/summer 
May Action Sheet: https://cclusa.org/actionsheet 
Pre-Call Video: https://vimeo.com/1190540027 
Permitting Reform Trainings: https://community.citizensclimate.org/topics/clean-energy-permitting-reform 

CCL Training: Community Engagement and Key Messages (Permitting Reform Series)

It's important for energy project developers to engage local communities in order to address any local concerns and adverse impacts that may arise from new infrastructure projects. Join CCL's VP of Government Affairs Jenn Tyler, Research Manager Dana Nuccitelli and Mindy Ahler
Congressional Liaison Director to learn about how community engagement may be addressed in the permitting reform process, and key messages for congressional offices.

Skip ahead to the following section(s):
(0:00) Intro & Agenda
(1:48) Community Engagement Background
(12:50) Recognition of its Importance
(14:18) Engagement Policy Proposals
(19:01) Key Messages

Log Your Training: https://community.citizensclimate.org/log_training?sf_id=a5yUP000000GcAzYAK  
Presentation Slides: https://cclusa.org/community-engagement-slides  
Training Page:  https://community.citizensclimate.org/topics/clean-energy-permitting-reform 

CCL Training: Building Relationships With County Commissioners As Trusted Messengers

This training walks you through the process of securing and delivering policy support from county commissioners on both sides of the aisle and provides specific examples of CCL volunteer success stories with community leaders in Montana. We’ll also talk about identifying and connecting with trusted messengers and why it’s effective and efficient to start with the ones in your direct network.

Skip ahead to the following section(s):
(0:00) Intro & Agenda
(3:18) What Is A Trusted Messenger?
(4:25) Why County Commissioners?
(12:48) How To Build A Strategy To Get Letters
(20:00 ) Case Study: Montana
(29:27) Taking Action

Presentation Slides: https://cclusa.org/county-commissioner-slides   
CCL Training Event: https://community.citizensclimate.org/events/item/24/20756 
Trusted Messenger Letter Templates: https://community.citizensclimate.org/resources/item/19/201 
Log Your Training: https://community.citizensclimate.org/log_training?sf_id=a5y8X0000005xY2QAI 

CCL’s Theory of Change: The Three Conditions for Congressional Action (BRIDGE Training #4)

From a review of CCL's history to a focus on our shared work ahead, learn how climate progress becomes possible when your Member of Congress experiences Strong Conviction, Political Safety, Undeniable Support—and how your chapter’s actions intentionally build those conditions.

Skip ahead to the following section(s):
(0:00) Intro & Agenda
(2:23) CCL's History
(6:03) Theory of Change
(13:26) Three Conditions
(17:30) Name The Condition
(29:36) Power vs. Force in Advocacy
(33:14) Final Takeaways

Presentation Slides: https://cclusa.org/BRIDGE-4-Slides    
CCL Training: https://community.citizensclimate.org/BRIDGE/Unit-2/Training-1 
Log Your Training: https://community.citizensclimate.org/log_training?sf_id=a5yUP000000EAabYAG 

CCL Training: Earth Month Media Opportunities

Join CCL Communications & Media Manager Charlotte Ward for a training that will review CCL's Earth Month Media Opportunities available for CCL chapters and volunteers to boost awareness and engagement with climate solutions. 

Skip ahead to the following section(s):
(0:00) Intro & Agenda
(1:00) Why Activate Local Media?
(4:26) Letters to the Editor
(7:56) Writing Op-Eds
(11:51) Moral Foundations Application
(20:24) Resources To Help You

Presentation Slides: https://cclusa.org/earth-day-media-slides  
CCL Training Event: https://community.citizensclimate.org/events/item/24/20755  
Log Your Training: https://community.citizensclimate.org/log_training?sf_id=a5yUP000000AHfVYAW 

CCL Training: Virtual Conservative Conference & Lobby Day Q&A

Join CCL Staff Mindy Ahler, Jennifer Tyler, and Alison Kubicsko to review the Congressional Asks for lobby day and what to expect during the Virtual Conservative Conference & Lobby Day. Registered attendees for the virtual Conservative Conference should plan to attend. If you are interested in attending the conference, you can find more information and apply from the conference website. The conference is designed for politically right of center attendees.

(0:00) Intro & Agenda
(2:20) Conference Overview
(5:52) What to Expect on Lobby Day
(20:46) Lobby Day Asks
(35:00) What Happens Next?

Presentation Slides:  https://cclusa.org/lobby-conference-qa 
Training Page:  https://community.citizensclimate.org/topics/preparing-lobby-day/ccl-conference-and-lobby-day 
Log Your Training: https://community.citizensclimate.org/log_training?sf_id=a5y8X0000005xWbQAI 

CCL Training: Fair Permitting Certainty and Key Messages (Permitting Reform Series)

Presidents from both political parties have taken steps to interfere with the permitting of certain types of energy infrastructure that they oppose. These executive actions create uncertainty that inhibits the development of new energy sources in the United States. For this reason, ensuring fair permitting certainty is a key aspect of permitting reform that enjoys bipartisan support. Join CCL's VP of Government Affairs Jenn Tyler and Research Manager Dana Nuccitelli to learn about how Congress can ensure certainty in a permitting reform package, and key messages for congressional offices.

Skip ahead to the following section(s):
(0:00) Intro & Agenda
(1:40) Permitting Certainty Importance
(14:03) Fair Permitting Provisions
(22:24) Key Messages
(29:41) Concluding Thoughts

Presentation Slides: https://cclusa.org/fair-permitting-slides 
Log your training: https://community.citizensclimate.org/log_training?sf_id=a5yUP000000G11lYAC  
Permitting Reform Trainings: https://community.citizensclimate.org/topics/clean-energy-permitting-reform