County launches $100,000 public campaign to oppose Fountain Wind; PIO reports high digital reach

David Mung, Shasta County public information officer, briefed the Board of Supervisors on the county's community action campaign against the Fountain Wind project, a proposed large-scale wind-energy development in eastern Shasta County.

Mung said the county launched a marketing and outreach effort in November 2023 after the project applied to the California Energy Commission (CEC) under AB 205, which allows some projects to seek state approval despite local rejections. "To date from the beginning of the website's conception to last Friday, March 7, we've received 32,000 views of this website," Mung said. He told the board the county spent under $58,000 of an allocated $100,000 and had focused on digital ads, direct mail and an email blast. "Cumulatively, these ads have received just under 2,000,000 views with a total reach of 1,400,000 users on Facebook and Instagram," he said, and reported 605 docket submissions to the CEC that the county could trace to the campaign.

Why it matters: The Fountain Wind application went first to the CEC under AB 205; the county opposes approval on grounds that it would set a statewide precedent that overruns local decisions, damage tribally significant lands and raise wildfire and aerial firefighting risks. The board previously voted to challenge AB 205's application to this project and directed the PIO to run the campaign.

Key details: Mung summarized tactics and measured results. The campaign targeted eastern Shasta County and the city area with direct mail to about 53,000 households, three email blasts (roughly 53,000 addresses), a marketing kit for residents to share, and paid digital advertising. Mung said the campaign's click-through rate of 8.24% and cost-per-click of $0.31 exceeded typical benchmarks for political/social-issue ads. He told the board roughly $42,000 remained for future targeted work emphasizing wildfire risk and refreshed creative.

Board and public response: Supervisors and members of the public commended the outreach and asked about coordination with tribes and litigation. Supervisor Plummer and others reported reaching out to other counties and to an individual in Colusa County who faces similar projects. Mung said the Redding Rancheria and the Pit River Tribe had submitted opposition letters via the CEC docket but had not contributed money to the county's campaign; he deferred questions about contributions to litigation to county counsel. Several members of the public urged continued legal action and broader intergovernmental advocacy. "We don't want them. Where's our politicians at?" one resident told the board during public comment.

What the county will do next: Mung said staff planned to reserve remaining funds for refreshed digital ads and radio placements and to re-engage regional media partners. The board did not take a formal vote on the campaign during the presentation; later public comments and supervisor remarks reiterated support for continued outreach and legal challenge.

Ending: The Fountain Wind project remains pending before the CEC; county officials told the board they will maintain outreach and legal strategies while watching for an agency decision.