From endearing bleats and “bahs” to their eco-friendly way of life and nose-to-the-ground work ethic, goats are ideal partners for energy company ComEd.

In this episode, Feedstuffs editor Sarah Muirhead talks with Emily Kramer, Manager of Vegetation Management for Commonwealth Edison, about ComEd’s “Goatternship” program. The program, now in its second year, involves some 200 goats taking their place among the ComEd ranks. They are part of a targeted grazing program and serve as a safer and more sustainable way to clear vegetation in hard-to-reach terrain and, therefore, ensure reliable power. On average, a goat can clear one acre of land a week - equivalent to what a team of people can do with machinery in the same amount of time – but at a much lower cost.

To highlight the unique program, which was the first of its kind by an energy company in the Midwest, ComEd launched an educational social media campaign, “Goatternship,” across its social media channels. The “Goatternship” campaign chronicled the experiences of this summer workforce, shared backstories of individual goats - with names like “SelenaGoatmez” and “Great Goatsby”—and played off features of the traditional internship experience, including orientation, on-the-job training and performance reviews.

ComEd is a unit of Chicago, Ill.-based Exelon Corp., the nation’s leading competitive energy provider, with approximately 10 million customers. ComEd provides service to approximately 4 million customers across northern Illinois, or 70% of the state’s population. 

This episode of Feedstuffs In Focus is sponsored by United Animal Health, a leader in animal health and nutrition. You can learn more about United Animal Health and how they are working to advance animal science worldwide by visiting their website UnitedANH.com.

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