Kristina Zagame is a Rising Star in Energy Branding and the Content & Show Host of The Plugged in Podcast, EnergySage.
Known for making complex energy topics clear and engaging, she brings a human, practical approach to energy communication.
At CHARGE North America 2026, Kristina joins the ReCHARGE your LinkedIn workshop to share insights on what effective energy storytelling looks like today and how brands can communicate with clarity and credibility.
What drew you to working at the intersection of energy, content, and storytelling?
It was a gradual transition from my former career in TV news. I spent years as a reporter and anchor covering everything from local politics to natural disasters, and I kept seeing how climate change was touching every story. Hurricanes, tornadoes and wildfires were becoming stronger and more frequent, rising concerns about extreme heat and high energy costs for families. But the climate solution pieces always fell flat. I started thinking, people get so riled up about celebrity gossip or sports stats, why can’t we get them that excited about clean energy? I think the biggest issue was that energy reporting has historically been dull, technical, and inaccessible to the everyday American. So I took the tools I learned from my time in TV broadcasting—the pacing, the visuals, the conversational tone—and applied it to energy storytelling.
Where have you gone beyond your formal role to create meaningful impact?
In an obvious sense, the solar installation on my own house. It wasn’t in my job description and I didn’t get it done for free (or even for a discount). But aside from wanting them, I knew that walking the walk brings transparency and trust to my personal brand. Beyond that, I’ve become an informal mentor to other content creators trying to break into the energy space. I receive many messages and have even had coffee calls with others trying to break into the space, and I’m very honest about how my team creates content, what’s working, and what’s not.
How do you approach making complex energy topics accessible to wider audiences?
I learned in TV journalism that you want to explain a story in a way that a grandparent and a fourth grader can understand. I regurgitate hard to grasp energy concepts in words and stories in simple words and relatable stories. For example, I spent an entire episode of Plugged In comparing Microgrids and Virtual Power Plants to lemonade stands. The more we can humanize content so that people can understand and relate to it, the better our words will resonate.
What do you think defines effective energy communication today?
Authenticity and transparency. People can smell BS a mile away—you can’t just greenwash or use buzzwords to get people to look at your content. We’ve been in an energy crisis in one way or another for some time now, and people are more anxious and worried than ever. You need to be authentic about what options are out there (including the options that may not get a thumbs up from your sales team) and transparent with your delivery.