In energy efficiency and electrification programs, success is often measured by, well… measurables. Technology, incentives, timelines and scale. How many homes upgraded. How many kilowatts reduced. How quickly programs can expand.
But beneath every successful project is something far less measurable, but arguably more powerful.
Trust.
Trust is easy to overlook because it doesn’t appear neatly in quarterly reports. It’s not a tidy line item in a rebate calculator or a procurement spreadsheet. It’s messy and often fragile… easily broken and all that. Yet it’s the central cog in most processes and contracts, stalling even the most generous offerings before they begin if not based on trust. This is especially true in cases where Local Government Partnerships (LGPs) are at play.
That reality is something Lou Jacobson of Willdan knows firsthand through his work with GK12 and its partnerships with LGPs across California.
“When I’ve been lucky enough to talk to a customer,” Lou explains, “I’ve heard ‘this is too good to be true’ more times than I’d like to admit.”
And from the customer’s perspective, the skepticism makes sense. A no-cost or low-cost facility upgrade can sound improbable, especially in communities that have historically been overlooked, overpromised to, or inundated with disingenuous, transactional outreach. When people don’t trust the offer, they often don’t move forward, even if it means missing out on very real benefits.
The resulting scenario is lose-lose. Customers miss out on meaningful upgrades. Programs absorb acquisition costs without delivering outcomes. Momentum slows.
The problem isn’t always the program itself. Often, it’s the distance between the program and the community it hopes to serve.
GK12 acts as a companion program with the LGPs throughout PG&E’s service territory, offering measures, services, and equipment upgrades that will serve the communities while leveraging the established relationships the LGPs have created over years of partnership. It truly takes all links to strengthen the chain.
Why Cold Outreach Falls Short
Traditional customer acquisition models rely heavily on scale: broad marketing campaigns, mass outreach, automated communications, and increasingly sophisticated data targeting. Those tools have value, but they can only take a program so far when the underlying relationship doesn’t exist.
Trust cannot be automated.
A postcard can explain a rebate. A digital ad can target a ZIP code. But neither can replace the confidence that comes from hearing about a program through a familiar, credible local source.
That distinction has shaped GK12’s approach since late 2021.
Rather than attempting to reach customers entirely through direct outreach, the GK12 program embraced a partnership-driven model built around Local Government Partners — trusted entities already embedded within their communities. This way, when new programs or partner organizations enter the chat, trust is already in the room.
That changes everything.
When a trusted source introduces a program or idea, residents and businesses are more likely to believe the opportunity is legitimate. The conversation starts from familiarity instead of skepticism. Questions become easier to answer. Participation barriers become lower.
Most importantly, relationships begin to form.
The Economic Argument for Trust
There’s also a practical business reality behind this model, because the bottom line always matters.
Customer acquisition is expensive. In many industries, organizations spend heavily to simply get someone’s attention, let alone earn their confidence. Energy programs are no exception. Outreach campaigns, advertising, staffing, and follow-up efforts all add cost, which become blaring when engagement rates are low.
But trusted community partnerships fundamentally alter that equation.
The cost to reach and convert a new customer drops dramatically. Time spent overcoming skepticism decreases. Communication becomes more efficient. Customers are more likely to stay engaged throughout the process.
The quality of the relationship changes, too.
A cold lead may complete a transaction. A trusted introduction can create long-term participation, advocacy, and continued engagement. That distinction matters in programs designed not just to deliver one upgrade, but to support broader community transformation over time.
In other words, trust isn’t just good ethics. It’s good infrastructure.
Trust Is the Long Game
One of the most important elements of the GK12 model is that the relationship doesn’t end once equipment is installed.
Too often, programs treat installations as the finish line. The transaction is complete, metrics are recorded, and attention moves to the next customer. But communities remember who shows up after the paperwork is signed.
Lou emphasizes that delivering means more than simply completing a project. It means maintaining communication, standing behind the work, and building confidence over the long term.
That approach reinforces trust throughout entire communities. Positive experiences spread through word of mouth. Local partners gain confidence recommending future projects. Participation becomes less about persuasion and more about reputation.
The result is a compounding effect that traditional strategies struggle to replicate.
A Model Built for Equity
This trust-centered approach also carries important implications for equity and access.
Historically underserved communities are often the hardest to reach through conventional outreach methods — not because residents lack interest, but because institutional trust may already be fragile. Programs that fail to recognize this dynamic can unintentionally widen participation gaps, even when incentives are strong.
Local government partnerships help close that gap.
Local organizations understand regional needs, cultural dynamics, communication preferences, and the realities residents face daily. They provide context that one-size-fits-all outreach efforts often miss. More importantly, they create pathways for engagement that feel human rather than transactional.
That human element matters deeply in the transition to cleaner, more efficient energy systems.
Because at its core, this work isn’t only about infrastructure upgrades. It’s about helping people make decisions about their homes, businesses, budgets, and futures. Those decisions are rarely driven by data alone.
They’re driven by trust.
