Storm-Tested Coverage Delivered Investor Confidence in $524M Solar Project

18 Media Placements. 40+ VIPs. One Winter Storm.

Challenge

A Korean-led consortium was preparing to break ground on Lucy Solar, a $524M, 350 MW solar project in Concho County, Texas - one of the largest Korean renewable energy investments in the United States. C-suite executives from Hyundai E&C, KOMIPO and four other partners were flying from Seoul. The site was 250 miles from the Dallas airport in a county with minimal infrastructure and no media market, while nine partner organizations each had distinct brand hierarchies.

The contract was signed January 9 for a January 27 event: 15 business days. Then Winter Storm Fern hit, prompting a statewide disaster declaration, road closures and an unusable outdoor venue. Postponement was not an option.

Strategy

From the first discovery call, the client defined success as building investor confidence in its Project Lucy investment. Tigercomm developed a narrative around an international partnership powering Texas economic growth, leading with $524M in investment, 500 jobs and $5M per year in tax revenue.

Media outreach targeted three tiers: local Texas outlets, U.S. clean energy trade press and Korean business media. A sensitive Q&A document coached executives on the political environment without scripting their responses.

Execution

• Mobilized a six-person team and event production partner within 72 hours, then ran four coordination calls across nine organizations on 24-hour approval cycles.
• Issued a weather risk memo with five hazard scenarios and, after client approval, relocated the entire event to the Sheraton DFW Grand Ballroom in under 72 hours.
• Produced a bilingual ceremony for more than 40 VIPs with six speakers, a ceremonial shovel turn, professional photography and videography, and a complete electronic press kit.
• Released the announcement on Business Wire in the United States and South Korea, conducted targeted post-event pitching and secured a post-event NPR interview.

Results

Despite difficult travel conditions, 95% of invited attendees made it to the groundbreaking and the event proceeded successfully. The announcement generated 18 original stories across clean energy trade, Korean business, local Texas, financial and construction outlets.

PV Magazine and PV Tech do not typically cover groundbreakings; their pickup signaled that the project was considered market-relevant. The program remained on schedule with high production value despite the indoor pivot.