MPSC launches Facebook page to expand its outreach and public interaction on energy, telecommunications issues
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE June 30, 2022
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MPSC launches Facebook page to expand its outreach and public interaction on energy, telecommunications issues
The Michigan Public Service Commission today marked Social Media Day by launching a new MPSC page on Facebook, adding a key way for the agency to expand its outreach on energy and telecommunications matters and get critical information to Michiganders.
The MPSC aims to use the Facebook page as a way to share news and information about energy and telecommunications issues ranging from assistance programs for income-qualified households to reports about activities at the Commission, whose mission is to serve the public by ensuring safe, reliable, and accessible energy and telecommunications services at reasonable rates. Topics will include important public safety announcements and educational posts about energy, energy savings, expansion of broadband internet and other matters that affect Michiganders.
The MPSC already has a presence on Twitter and LinkedIn and posts videos of meetings and other content on its YouTube channel. But today marks the Commission’s first foray onto Facebook, which is the second-largest social media platform in the United States, after YouTube. The Pew Research Center reports that nearly 70% of American adults use Facebook.
“The MPSC is excited to join Facebook to share information and broaden its public outreach at this important time, as Michigan’s transition to clean energy picks up pace and there’s renewed work to ensure affordable high-speed internet service can reach all parts of the state,” MPSC Chair Dan Scripps said. “We look forward to interacting with Michiganders about matters that impact us all, from how we power our lives to how we ensure access online.”
The MPSC’s decision to launch a Facebook page was influenced by recent energy assistance fairs MPSC Staff held in Benton Harbor and Gaylord. During listening sessions at the fairs, participants informed Staff that Facebook is one of the best ways to reach them with critical information or announcements of activities in their areas.
Founded in 1939, the MPSC is a three-member Commission whose members are appointed by the governor with the advice and consent of the Michigan Senate. Its members are Scripps and Commissioners Tremaine Phillips and Katherine Peretick. The MPSC’s responsibilities include oversight of investor-owned public utilities in Michigan, including the state’s two largest, DTE Energy and Consumers Energy, natural gas pipelines, and licensing and other regulatory support for telecommunications services and customers of those services.
For information about the MPSC, visit www.michigan.gov/mpsc, sign up for its monthly newsletter or other listservs, or follow the Commission on Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn.