WOC | Signal’s Andrea Saxenhofer to discuss battery storage trust at Battery Asset Management USA 2026

WOC | Signal Associate Director Andrea Saxenhofer will join Cleantech San Diego CEO Jason Anderson at Battery Asset Management USA 2026 on Sept. 16 in Orange County to present survey findings on public concerns around battery energy storage in California. The session comes as the state’s storage buildout faces growing scrutiny over safety, siting and community impacts.

Why it matters: - California’s battery storage buildout depends not only on engineering and finance, but also on public acceptance. - The session will focus on how community trust, safety concerns and local impacts can shape deployment speed and project success. - The findings are aimed at battery developers, asset owners, policymakers and other clean energy stakeholders.

What happened: - WOC | Signal said Associate Director Andrea Saxenhofer will join Cleantech San Diego President and CEO Jason Anderson for a Battery Asset Management USA 2026 session titled “Trust and Energy: Navigating Public Concerns in California’s Energy Transition.” - The session is scheduled for Wednesday, Sept. 16, from 9:05-9:35 a.m. at the Hyatt Regency Orange County in Garden Grove, California. - Battery Asset Management USA 2026 runs Sept. 15-16 at the Hyatt Regency Orange County. - The conference brings together battery storage owners, operators and industry experts to discuss asset performance, safety, market strategy and operational challenges in the U.S. storage sector.

The details: - Saxenhofer and Anderson will present findings from a Cleantech San Diego survey on public concerns tied to battery energy storage systems. - The research included more than 850 online survey მონაწილant responses, plus detailed stakeholder interviews. - The survey found 65% of respondents support shifting from fossil fuels to renewable energy. - The survey found 57% support battery storage projects in their own neighborhood. - The session will examine what the findings mean for developers, asset owners, policymakers and other stakeholders. - The discussion will also cover how research, stakeholder engagement and disciplined communications can help address concerns before they harden into opposition. - WOC | Signal described itself as a strategic communications and public relations agency focused on complex, high-stakes B2B environments. - Andrea Saxenhofer leads strategic communications and integrated PR campaigns at WOC | Signal for clients in renewable energy, distributed energy, clean transportation and climate technology. - Saxenhofer’s background includes utility-scale solar, wind, battery storage and grid infrastructure work in the U.S. and Europe. - Saxenhofer serves as Chair of Communications for the San Diego chapter of Women of Renewable Industries and Sustainable Energy.

Between the lines: - The presentation suggests the storage industry is treating public trust as a deployment issue, not just a messaging challenge. - High-profile battery incidents have made safety and siting part of the broader policy and community conversation around California’s energy transition. - WOC | Signal is positioning stakeholder communications as a tool to reduce resistance before projects face organized opposition. - Larry Smalheiser, managing director of WOC | Signal, said communities need credible information about safety, local impacts and storage’s role in a reliable clean energy system. - Smalheiser said the research can help correct initial assumptions with evidence and give the industry a clearer view of how to communicate when trust matters as much as technology.

What's next: - Saxenhofer and Anderson are expected to use the survey results to frame practical communication strategies for the storage sector. - The broader takeaway from the conference is likely to center on how the industry can sustain momentum for storage deployment while addressing public concerns early. - WOC | Signal directs readers to case studies for examples of client work.

The bottom line: - California’s energy transition is pushing battery storage into the spotlight, and the industry now has to win over communities as well as regulators and investors.