Electrocity: Teaching Kids to Manage Energy, Human Needs Responsibly Through Gaming
by Kenny Luna, North Babylon, NY 
on 08.31.07
With all of the very real concerns about the future of energy usage on the planet, Genesis Energy, an energy supplier and retailer in New Zealand has come up with a terrific way of helping kids develop a strong basis on which to develop future knowledge about the issues surrounding global energy usage without overwhelming them with every sophisticated detail... Essentially, they've come up with a game not too unlike SimCity, where kids get to develop their own city in a game that features 150 "turns"; each of which is a chance to make a wide array of decisions about the usage of energy, natural resources, and ultimately the future of the population within it.
Kids start every game out with a small city consisting of 10,000 inhabitants and a wind farm that provides all of the electricity they need. But it's both flexible and realistic, allowing parents and teachers to adapt it to various scenarios... Do your kids want to go for unrestrained economic growth and all the luxurious accoutrements that money can buy? No problem. But be prepared for your inhabitants to pay a price environmentally, economically and socially in the process. Don't think it's a bad idea to let the population of the city grow so fast it overwhelms the existing infrastructure? Hey, no problem there either... But be prepared to pay through the nose for electricity on the open market when they all reach for the light switch and then crank up the air conditioning.
Ultimately, kids earn a score based on how well they manage energy, the environment, and human needs… Helping them to learn that developing wisely in the face of limited resources is a bright idea. And if you’re a school teacher in New Zealand there’s the added bonus of being able to register your classes to win prizes for the school based on how well they are able to successfully manage the future.
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Great idea, but is it really going to be used in schools or at home. Surely it's better to get this type of material into schools through the local authorities? Shouldn't we be pushing for a high-school level obligatory course around the world on energy use? Simple idea, but it would really make a difference.
Seems a great idea - I'm surprised no-one thought of it sooner. Wish I had!
Could be a good idea, but...
this is from Genesis Energy, which according to Greenpeace is "NZ's worst climate offender" among the power companies. While I haven't played the game yet, I suspect that it might be pushing the same idea that it has used in recent TV ads: that using "a variety of sources" (especially polluting ones) is better than going for more renewable sources.
In a country where nearly 70% of electricity comes from renewable sources, Genesis stands out for creating 75% of its energy from fossil fuels. So, the sim idea is good, but I'd be a little wary about what the assumptions and messages of their model will be.
I played the game the whole evening, although I am 25, and to be honest, maybe it is not suited for me. One thing, though, with only renewable sources of energy I could not get the town bigger than 100.000 inhabitants, even with the big hydro-plants, and this is where the game meets the reality. With number of inhabitants and electricity demand growing at the alarming rate, we cannot expect the world's future to be based on renewable energy sources and energy efficiency at whole. Either, we will have to get rid of some people on this planet, which is inhuman, or we will have to base our future on renewables and fossil or nuclear. Or maybe go back to the stone age? :-)
Tom,
As the creative director of the company that created ElectroCity, I'd like to clear up some misconceptions here.
You say, 'I suspect that it might be pushing the same idea that it has used in recent TV ads: that using "a variety of sources" (especially polluting ones) is better than going for more renewable sources.'
The game doesn't push that idea at all - it is totally impartial, and without any form of agenda behind it.
Also, the TV ads didn't say it's better to go for a variety of sources at the expense of renewable ones. New Zealand has a problem with the security of its electricity supply: the best way to tackle this problem is to rely on several sources, i.e. don't put all your eggs into one basket.
Hydro generation becomes compromised if there is a severe lack of rain, for example. So those ads are not about 'green issues' and shouldn't be treated as much.
Greenpeace has a go at Genesis Energy because Genesis happens to run the Huntly coal power station. There's not a lot the company can do about that if it wants to keep the lights on in New Zealand. Having said that, its new e3p power station means it doesn't need to rely on coal power so much now, and that one power station will result in a c.10% reduction in CO2 emmissions from NZ power generation.
Thanks,
Chris
Very intresting. Keep up the work, and try to improve your game to maybe a CD?