In 2013, Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) and BHE U.S. Transmission hired SWS to assist in messaging and branding for a new proposed 230-kilovolt (kV) transmission line connecting the Gates Substation in Fresno County to the Gregg Substation in Madera County.

Logo Design

The team began by fielding a public opinion poll in both English and Spanish to identify the themes that resonated most with the community. Survey findings helped shape the development of a message platform, as well as preliminary logo concepts and project names. Input received during the discussions also helped determine the final logo, which features bold blues and greens that visually reinforce the project’s ties to clean energy and represent the idea of connectivity.

Branding Materials

SWS then conducted informal focus groups to obtain qualitative feedback on the branding and ensure broad appeal among the region’s diverse communities. Based on this research, the team dubbed the new transmission line “Central Valley Power Connect” and selected the tagline “Reliable Energy for our Future.” Ultimately, this process helped create a cohesive brand to support the project’s community engagement campaign, which included email news updates, social media, newsletters, a website and video, stakeholder meetings, public open houses, and multilingual print and radio notifications. Through these efforts, the team successfully raised awareness of Central Valley Power Connect and collected feedback from hundreds of stakeholders.