Operation Switch: Making a Case for Energy Social Media –Anna Martinelli

In recent years, energy development and service companies have begun to promote energy efficiency and conservation through energy social media platforms. Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, YouTube, and Vimeo have proved to be very useful channels for raising awareness about renewable energy, breaking down resistance to wind farms and biodesal plants, posting tips for safe energy consumption, publicizing energy conferences and other events, and motivating the average Joe to find small ways to reduce his energy consumption. As we can see through Portland General Electric’s “Operation Switch,” energy social media initiatives are particularly effective when companies reach out to consumers in innovative ways.

Operation Switch, an Energy Social Media experiment from PGE, proves that energy social media can go a long way in achieving energy conservation in a community setting. Every two weeks, PGE posted “missions,” or small things that the average person can do to conserve energy. PGE explained the importance of each mission, outlined strategies for success, and invited consumers to report back on their progress via Twitter or directly through PGE’s Switch webpage. At the conclusion of each mission, PGE posted stats on community involvement and overall energy savings. Throughout the entire process, PGE’s communicated with the public in a tone that was lighthearted, conversational and at times even silly.

In this energy social media initiative, PGE publicized Portland’s energy conservation success in terms that the public could truly relate to, such as number of trees planted, miles not driven, pounds of CO2 saved, electric miles powered, homes powered, and total kWh saved. Showing people how their energy conservation efforts affected their immediate world proved to be very powerful, and 487,0687 kWh were saved during Switch’s 10-month pilot run.

PGE’s Energy Social Media initiative provides an example of how energy companies can motivate a community to conserve energy by fostering a sense of teamwork and fun. Energy social media initiatives such as Operation Switch also foster alliances between energy companies and consumers that only become more valuable as we work toward a sustainable future.