Poll: Trust Will Be the Biggest Energy Engagement Challenge in 2026

Energy projects are accelerating — but engagement challenges are evolving just as quickly.

In a recent Engagement Institute poll, practitioners were asked what will matter most for energy engagement in 2026.

The results:

• Building trust — 47%

• Community opposition — 27%

• Speed vs quality engagement — 26%

What the Result Suggests

While opposition often dominates headlines, practitioners believe the deeper issue is trust.

Communities increasingly want to understand:

• how decisions are made

• who has influence

• whether their input matters

Why Trust Matters

The Engagement Institute’s thought leadership paper Strategic Engagement: Democracy’s Urgent Task highlights declining institutional trust as a growing challenge for large infrastructure projects.

Energy projects now sit at the intersection of environmental priorities, economic development and community identity.

In that context, trust may become the most important infrastructure of the energy transition.

Further Reading 

• Engagement Institute LinkedIn Poll
• Thought Leadership Paper – Strategic Engagement: Democracy’s Urgent Task