Madison, Wis., Sept. 13, 2016—Madison Gas and Electric (MGE) unveiled Tuesday a new online resource for customers to access Energy 2030 news, energy-saving tips and information, and stories from our community. The launch of the website,energy2030together.com, follows an extensive community engagement effort during which MGE customers and stakeholders indicated communication is one of their top priorities, along with transitioning to more sustainable energy sources and enhancing customer control of their energy costs.

“Customers told us they want information that’s timely, useful and relevant to their lives. It’s up to us to deliver what they need to know in such a way that helps them make informed choices about how they use energy,” said Lynn Hobbie, Senior Vice President – Marketing and Communications.

“By sharing information and working together with our customers in many different ways, we can accomplish what we’ve targeted under our long-term Energy 2030 framework, for example, further reducing carbon emissions, increasing our use of renewables and our commitment to energy efficiency and to helping customers control their usage,” Hobbie added.

Current online features include a combination of articles and videos. For example, visitors will find an article about our new solar option for customers called Shared Solar, which is a project in partnership with the City of Middleton, and an article about MGE reducing its ownership of the coal-fired Columbia Energy Center, which is a move consistent with Energy 2030 and our transition from coal.

With MGE looking to explore a smart thermostat pilot program with customers, the site also has a new video about how smart thermostats can be used to reduce peak demand and save all customers money long-term. Other features include a local coffee roaster working with MGE to connect solar panels to the grid, our partnerships surrounding a recent electric vehicle promotion as well as a couple of stories about what we learned from our Community Energy Workshop held earlier this year, among others.

In addition to the online presence, customers can expect to receive an Energy 2030 Together newsletter every quarter with their bills, with the first set to arrive at households in October.

“Customers will continue to receive all of the important safety and outage, billing and payment, and customer service information we’ve provided them in the past. Energy 2030 Together, both online and in newsletter format, will be a new, additional resource to keep our customers informed about the things they’ve told us matter to them, and how we can work together to create a more sustainable future,” Hobbie said.

MGE’s main website, mge.com, will continue to serve customers’ service and business needs.

About MGE

MGE generates and distributes electricity to 146,000 customers in Dane County, Wis., and purchases and distributes natural gas to 152,000 customers in seven south-central and western Wisconsin counties. MGE’s parent company is MGE Energy, Inc. The company’s roots in the Madison area date back more than 150 years.