Cole Manders is the Founder and Principal of Clout Advocacy. His work centers on stakeholder engagement, regulatory strategy, and navigating local decision-making environments where timing, credibility, and alignment are critical to success.

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Cole began his career as an officer in the United States Merchant Marine. He then came ashore working in energy markets before eventually transitioning into government affairs and lobbying, where he advised on transmission, reliability, and distributed generation. Through this experience, he developed a practical understanding of how policy is shaped and how projects succeed, or stall, at the local level.

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He founded Clout Advocacy to address a consistent gap he observed across projects: the lack of early, disciplined engagement with key stakeholders. Today, he works with developers, communities, and public officials to build alignment upfront, helping projects move forward with fewer obstacles and stronger long-term footing.