Electric companies told state utility regulators that social media proved their worth during the power outages caused by Superstorm Sandy.
Officials from five utilities whose distribution systems were affected by Sandy made presentations Thursday during a Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission forum.
PUC Chairman Robert Powelson says the Sandy outages marked the first time a majority of utilities used Twitter and Facebook to better communicate with customers. But he called the trend “a work in progress” that needs improvement.
Utilities said the storm that knocked out power to more than 1 million customers in eastern Pennsylvania over a nine-day period in October and November was a once-in-a-century event.
Officials said the experience underscored the need for additional consumer education about how power is restored and the need for more utility training.
