How to sell to CTOs at Energy companies
CTOs at energy companies are primarily measured on system reliability and innovation in renewable technologies. They respond to outreach that demonstrates a clear understanding of their current infrastructure challenges, such as integrating new solar technologies or enhancing grid resilience. A message that outlines specific solutions to these issues will capture their attention.
Written and maintained by the SoloRiff team, who build outbound software and run outbound with it. The figures below are our own: we measured 550 energy company domains over public DNS on 2026-09-03. Last updated 2026-09-03.
What actually hurts
- legacy system integration
- regulatory compliance updates
- real-time data analytics
- energy grid reliability
The playbook
- 01
Identify recent regulatory changes
Research recent legislation affecting renewable energy in your target region. Use sources like government energy departments or industry news. Tailor your outreach to highlight how your solution helps navigate these changes, addressing compliance and operational efficiency.
- 02
Target companies expanding renewable portfolios
Filter your list for energy companies that have announced investments in renewable projects or partnerships. Use news aggregators or industry reports to find these announcements. This shows you understand their growth strategy and can contribute to their objectives.
- 03
Highlight integration challenges
Craft your message to address common integration issues CTOs face when adopting new technologies. Mention specific challenges like data interoperability or legacy system compatibility. This will resonate with their day-to-day operational concerns and position your offering as a solution.
- 04
Leverage peer references
When following up, mention how similar companies in the energy sector have successfully implemented solutions to overcome technology hurdles. Use case studies or testimonials from the industry that relate directly to their situation. This builds credibility and trust.
- 05
Timing your outreach post-conference
Schedule your outreach shortly after major industry conferences or events focused on renewable energy. CTOs often seek new partnerships or solutions after these events. Reference the conference in your subject line to increase the chances of your email being opened.
Can energy companies even receive your mail?
We measured the DNS of 550 energy companies, sampled evenly across company sizes, to see how many authenticate their own email. It matters in both directions: a domain that does not authenticate is a domain whose team is used to mail going missing — and if your own domain is in the gap, yours is the mail going missing.
Publishes a DMARC policy of quarantine or reject — the domain actually asks receivers to act on failures.
The gap is the finding: 21.6% of 1–10-person companies against 85.8% of the largest — 64 points apart. Small companies are where the unauthenticated domains are, and small companies are who most cold outreach is aimed at.
Where does your domain sit?
Same three lookups, run live against your domain. Nothing is stored and nothing is emailed to you.
How this was measured
Company domains were sampled within employee-count bands, then queried over public DNS for SPF (TXT at the apex), DMARC (TXT at _dmarc.) and MX. One domain per company, deduplicated. Anyone can reproduce any single row of this with dig.
DKIM is deliberately absent. A DKIM key lives under a selector that cannot be enumerated from outside the domain, so a company with flawless DKIM under a name we did not guess would be counted as having none. That would measure our guess list, not the industry.
Domains with no MX record are excluded rather than counted as failures — parked and redirect-only domains would otherwise drag every figure down and make the result an artefact of the sample.
Sampled within bands, so this describes the population of companies, not of employees: a 10-person company counts once, as does a 10,000-person one. Each band is at least 60 domains; bands below that are not published. Figures are percentages of the sample, not of the whole industry, and we publish no company names — only counts.
Measured 2026-09-03. Re-measured monthly.
The full census across every industry — sortable, with sample sizes, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0.
Subject lines that fit
- Navigating new energy regulations
- Innovative solutions for grid reliability
- Streamlining renewable tech integration
Questions
- Why do CTOs at energy companies hesitate to adopt new technologies?
- CTOs often face resistance due to concerns about integration with existing systems and the potential for operational disruptions. They may also worry about the costs associated with training staff on new technologies, as well as the long-term reliability of unproven solutions.
- What are common objections from CTOs regarding partnerships?
- CTOs frequently cite concerns over vendor reliability and support as major objections. They want assurance that any new partnership will provide ongoing technical support and that the vendor has a proven track record in the energy sector.
- How can I effectively follow up with a CTO after initial contact?
- Following up with a CTO should focus on providing additional value. Share relevant industry insights or updates that pertain to their specific challenges. This demonstrates your commitment to understanding their needs and positions you as a knowledgeable resource.
- What role does cost play in a CTO's decision-making?
- Cost is a significant factor for CTOs, especially in the energy sector where budgets can be tight. They need to justify expenditures by showing a clear return on investment and how the technology will enhance operational efficiency or compliance.
Or have it run itself
SoloRiff does every step above on its own — finds the companies, finds the people, writes each of them individually, and handles the replies. Drop your URL and watch it work before you sign up for anything.
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