SMUD tests geofencing to target pipeline safety messages; early campaign metrics show increased site engagement

The Sacramento Municipal Utility District on Sept. 9 described a geofencing pilot that delivers targeted safety messaging to devices in proximity to SMUD’s natural gas transmission route. Ryder Couch, who manages regulatory compliance at SMUD, said geofencing sets a virtual perimeter around areas of interest and serves safety messages to devices that enter that zone. “What is geofencing? So geofencing is something where you set up a virtual perimeter around a geographic location, and then as devices go in and out…it's going to trigger,” Couch said, clarifying that SMUD’s program delivers targeted online ads and not bulk texts or emails. SMUD reported an October–December pilot with about 3.5 million ad impressions, an average of 39,500 ad appearances per day and about 6,000 total clicks; campaign analytics showed a 200,000 increase in active users to the utility’s content, a 45% increase in average engagement time, a 235% increase in recorded events (clicks/engagements) and visits from users in seven languages. Couch said the utility used the channel to reach residents, schools, first responders and excavators working within a buffer along the transmission route and to provide situational safety and contact information. He recommended geofencing as a way to “get the right message to the right people at the right time” while noting privacy practices and that the outreach operates with a geographic perimeter, not individual residential targeting. Why it matters: Targeted geofenced outreach may reach residents and contractors who would not see traditional flyers or email campaigns and can increase awareness about pipeline safety and 811 procedures in highest‑risk areas. Follow‑up: SMUD did not announce expanded statewide deployment but offered the pilot metrics as an example for other utilities and local agencies interested in targeted public‑awareness tools.